Even Angels Fall
by JustJinxed
Summary: "She was backed up in a small corner, looking as if she was trying to pull a Shadowcat and phase through the wall.  Even in the apocalypse he could still find his nerd references. " A Glenn-centered story. Rated T to be safe!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Helloooo! First time writing in The Walking Dead category..I'm obsessed! **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy, let me know if you want me to continue...And you know the**

**drill - I don't own The Walking Dead at all! Just borrowing! I hope you enjoy~**

It was getting uncharacteristically cold outside for the south, but Glenn wasn't complaining. Maybe all the damned Walkers would freeze up and they wouldn't have to be so careful anymore. He hadn't grown up moving around a lot, and this constant "on the run" thing just wasn't his cup of tea. Every time he got used to one place, they'd have to move along. Maybe it was better that way, though...if they kept busy, none of them would have time to dwell on the things that always gnawed on the back of their minds. Where their families were...their friends. What the hell their future would be like, if they were even going to live long enough to know what actually happened to the world. He felt like he had barely gotten the chance to live a full life...when he thought back to his childhood, he remembered the future he wanted for himself. Alright, maybe he never really had a set career path, but he knew he wanted to be successful. He wanted to have a family. A beautiful wife, healthy, smart kids...now all of that was just a dream. For all he knew, he was with the only survivors in all the human race! And something told him Andrea just wouldn't be up to having a few babies while the apocalypse was going on...Blinking at that last thought, he found himself blushing a little bit. He _had_ to stop thinking like that. Not like he could help it...he was a hot blooded young man. What did you expect?

"Ready there, Glenn?" The group's fearless leader asked, clasping a hand on his shoulder, which threw him off balance a little.

"As ready as I always am." He replied, half grinning at his friend. Though Rick was old enough to be his father, he just saw him as more of an older brother figure. A good friend. They had been through a lot together, and he thought back to their first meeting from time to time. Some of the members of their group didn't like Glenn's decision to help Rick out of that tank...Glenn was glad that the sheriff had proved them wrong. The young man hopped in the passenger seat of Daryl's dusty old pickup truck while Shane hopped in the back. Rick quickly followed, right after giving his wife one last kiss. The group of eleven had found an abandoned army base somewhere along the border of Georgia, close to the Alabama state line. There had been plenty of ammo and dehydrated food. The large stone fence kept the Walkers out, and surprisingly enough, they had found none actually in the base. Not an hour passed without Glenn wondering what had really happened in the base...there were so many unanswered questions in this new world. Maybe he'd find the answer to all of them one day.

"Git ready fellas." Daryl said gruffly as the troop neared the edge of the city. They had plenty of supplies in the base, but Rick had been itching to search the nearby town. For survivors, for clothes...and they could always use more medicine. The town itself wasn't too big, but it wasn't really a hick southern town, either. Somewhere in between.

"Let's get a move on. Stay quiet, stay together." Rick said as Daryl pulled the truck to a stop just outside a pharmacy. Glenn took a deep breath and accepted the pistol Rick offered him - just in case.

After an hour, they each had a decent haul and were beginning to discuss heading back to the base already. They talked quietly amongst themselves for a moment before agreeing to go just a bit further, hoping to find another pharmacy somewhere close. Glenn was starting to get paranoid...where were all the Walkers? They'd never been in a town of any size that just didn't have _any_ of the undead crawling around, yet there they were - scavenging for an hour without incident. T

No sooner had he thought that, did they see a group of three Walkers stumble out of a nearby shop. The men quickly shuffled into a nearby ally while Daryl leaned around the corner, aiming his crossbow. Glenn suddenly turned his head to look down the ally they now occupied and squinted at the parallel street, which was blocked with a high chain link fence.

"You guys hear that?" His voice was barely above a whisper. Suddenly a young girl darted down the ally, the golden ponytail reminding Glenn vaguely of a lightening bolt. A heard of hungry Walkers were right on her tail. It was really amazing how quickly those bastards were when they were hungry, and by the looks of this town, they must've been absolutely starving. The girl lept on the fence, nearly halfway up the length, she scaled it like a pro and hit the ground, landing harder on one foot than she probably should have. A sharp yell confirmed what Glenn thought, but she sprung up, thanks to the adrenaline he assumed, and spotted the four men not ten feet away from where she stood. Her eyes grew wide and she fell against a nearby door, opening it quickly and hurrying inside. Without thinking, Glenn ran after her. In the back of his mind, he heard Rick call his name, but he didn't pay attention. Maybe there were other survivors here? But then...what if this poor girl was all alone? He had to know. This was one question he could have answered, and he was determined to find out.

"Wait!" He was hot on her trail, but she was still faster with her head start. Finally they got to a small office space, and that's when he really got a good look at her.

She was backed up in a small corner, looking as if she was trying to pull a Shadowcat and phase through the wall. (Even in the apocalypse he could still find his nerd references.) Her dark golden hair was falling out of her ponytail, and her stance reminded him vaguely of some kind of wounded jungle cat, defensive until the end. Wait, defensive? What was she thinking?

"Hey," He spoke softly, lowering the gun he forgot he had before just setting it down on a nearby table. "It's okay...we just want to help you." The three other men had followed him closely, he didn't have to turn around to know that. Her expression did not sway - he may as well have not even said anything at all.

"'Ey kid. Ya' mind hurryin' it up?" Daryl still had his crossbow at the ready, just in case. It was not surprising. They had just seen so many Walkers chasing the girl, maybe the city really was crawling with them - but they couldn't just _leave_ her there. Rick stepped forward and Glenn could sense the urgency running through him before he even spoke.

"We know you're scared, but he's only speakin' the truth. You're alone here, right?" The young woman just stared at him, a mixture of fear, mistrust and anger. Briefly Glenn marveled at how brave she seemed. Of course she was probably scared - who wouldn't be? Then again, she was still standing her ground against four grown men. (Yes, he was throwing himself in that category just then. He's a grown man, no matter how much Daryl teases him when they find the odd bottle of alcohol.) Slowly her eyes moved from Rick to Glenn. That's when a oddly familiar feeling shot through his chest, one he hadn't felt in a while. Her eyes were a piercing, deep blue. It was as if she was trying to see straight through him, and at that moment, he was one hundred percent sure that she could. Glenn slowly reached his hand out, and she pushed even further back into the wall.

"We're not going to hurt you...you'll be safe with us." A short look of careful consideration flashed across her face before she shifted her weight and winced, leaning heavily on the wall. As quickly as she could, she regained her harsh look at the men, but they weren't fooled.

"Knew it." Daryl muttered, sighing. He had noticed her limp after she hopped the fence. She must've been pretty quick before, to outrun all those hungry Walkers, she probably could've evaded their small group with ease. Instead she allowed herself to be cornered. Tired of the tedious stand off, Daryl stepped forward, lowering his bow for a moment while Shane took his place at the window.

"Look here, sweetheart." He began, doing his absolute best to not sound as irritated as he was currently. "Yer hurt, ya' ain't got no weapon, and yer clearly alone. Now, we got some hungry folk anxiously waitin' our return, so ya' got two options." Glenn could barely breath. He knew what the options would be. He also knew that one of them was giving him a stomach ache already... "Ya' can put a'hold on tha' death glares an' march yer lil' wounded behind back to camp with us, or we can leave ya' here by yerself to be Walker chow. Yer choice." He tilted his head, looking at her ankle. It was covered by her pant leg, but his skilled eye had seen how badly she had winced earlier. "'Mazin' how fast them ugly sons a bitches can run when they ain't had much ta' eat in a while."

"Better make it quick." Shane finally spoke, pulling a large desk in front of the door, barricading them in. "We got company." Without looking at the girl, Shane looked around the room for their best escape route. Glenn glanced out the window as he heard moans and the sound of scuffled footsteps outside. Panicked, he looked at the girl and saw a flicker of fear flash through those eyes that he was quickly becoming accustomed to. Still, she looked stubborn, and Glenn had already had enough.

"_Please_." He took a step forward, his expression positively begging, "Don't make us leave you here." He extended his hand towards her once more, and she studied it - still unsure - for a moment. After what felt like an eternity (in reality, it was barely half a second), she gently took his hand. Again - blame him for being a hormonal young man, but he couldn't help realizing how soft her skin was.

"Wonnerful. Let's git a move on." The redneck said, rolling his eyes and hustling towards the hallway Shane was peering into. Rick nodded at Glenn.

"You got her?" Glenn nodded his head a little too quickly, causing the normally too-serious sheriff's mouth to twitch, showing an almost-grin in this stressful moment. The Walkers were at the door, and Glenn threw the mystery girl's arm over his shoulder, grabbed his pistol and hustled down the hallway.

Every time she took a step, he could tell it hurt her. He tried to murmur comforting things to her, just out of sympathy. (Or at least that's what he was going with) He told her to just put all of her weight on him - he could handle it. After a few more comforting phrases, he noticed that she did start to put a little more weight on him. In the midst of their escape, he felt his heart swell ever so slightly...maybe she was really just trying to survive, but Glenn couldn't help feeling like she may have put a little trust in him. Once they got to the back door of the office building, getting back to the truck was surprisingly easy. There had been a few Walkers waiting in the ally, but those were easily disposed of by Daryl's crossbow. The men threw their packs in the back while Glenn ushered his own little find into the cab of the truck. Rick and Shane hopped in the back, their guns drawn as Daryl hopped in the driver's seat of the (now slightly more crowded) old pickup. Not a word was uttered as the truck cranked up and sped off back towards the camp.

**Well? Has it peaked your interest yet?  
>I'm not sure how I feel about this just yet...leave me some notes!<br>Reviews are much appreciated, as always.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **

**So, can I tell you what a wonderful surprise it was, waking up to so many sweet reviews? :D ~ Thank you all SO very much, it means a lot. One question...does anyone know exactly how old everyone is? I tried finding it online, but apparently I am not the Google master.**

**And you know the drill, I do not own the Walking Dead, just borrowing them.**

The ride back to the army base was understandably tense. The mysterious young woman had agreed (non verbally) to go with them. Not that she really had many options...it was either die or follow the group of strangers, as far as Glenn could see. Really though, he couldn't have imagined _any_ of them just leaving her there. Had she lingered on that wall a moment later, Glenn just might have thrown her over his shoulder and carried her out, consequences be damned. He'd take a harsh kick to the gut if that meant he got to save a damsel in distress. He was never able to do that before...unless you count when he helped Rick out of that tank. But he didn't really figure that Rick wanted to be thought of as a damsel anyway...

He kept looking at her. Not staring - just glancing. He couldn't help it, she was just so...distracting. He should've been watching the road, looking for signs of Walkers, anything out of that ordinary. And he tried...but she just kept grabbing his attention. It was the little things she was doing, probably without even thinking about it. She would sigh just _slightly_ every once in a while, Glenn could barely even hear it, but it was the way her shoulders and chest moved...That wasn't weird to notice. The inside of the truck was cramped. He would've noticed if Daryl was breathing funny, too. And then there was the few times he would see her try to move her wounded ankle, only to wince and cease the action. He wished she would stop it...he wasn't a doctor, but he was _pretty_ sure she shouldn't be moving it like that. That's when Glenn really started to worry...they didn't have an actual doctor in the group. Sure everyone had learned their way around a med kit, but if her ankle was broken...that was serious. What if she needed surgery? Maybe it wasn't really broken, she _was_ still able to move it around. Maybe it was just a bad sprain.

If she noticed him stealing several glances at her, she didn't show it. Her dark blue eyes were focused on the road ahead, glaring slightly because of the light, or..maybe that was just her normal expression. Her features were a little harsh. She had high cheekbones which seem to make her glare even more menacing somehow...he couldn't help thinking about how beautiful she was. They hit a bump in the road, knocking Glenn out of his train of thought. It was a well hidden speed bump, and it took everyone by surprise. Rick and Shane hollered at Daryl from the back while he cracked a joke. It jolted their guest the most, making her knock her bruised joint into Glenn's leg. Biting her lip so hard he was afraid she might draw blood, her hand went to his knee and squeezed. Hard. (_Damn_ she had a death grip!) It was his turn to man up, thankfully able to hold his composure, he wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulder and tried to get her to look at him.

"Hey. You're alright, we're almost there, we'll get you fixed up." He cooed, trying to comfort her. It took a few more moments, the other occupants of the truck were completely silent as she slowly opened her eyes to look at Glenn. The pain had subsided and her grip on his knee loosened. For a brief instant, their eyes locked. Every time he looked into those damn eyes, he felt something. It was like she was trying to tell him something just by looking at him. He could tell that she had been through a lot...she was alone in that town when they first saw her, but she couldn't have been that way from the start. What happened to her group? Why wasn't she saying anything? Did she really distrust them so much? They had just saved her life...so many answers to find.

She removed her hand from Glenn's knee completely, and went back to looking out the window. Taking the hint, Glenn removed his arm from her shoulders, but continued to steal glances at her every once and a while before they reached the base.

When they finally arrived back, there had of course been questions. Who was the girl? What was her name? Why was she alone? What happened to her ankle? What was wrong with it? Was it broken? Unfortunately, they still didn't have any of these answers. Glenn had wondered if she would feel safer once she saw the other woman, maybe even seeing Carl and Sophia would help. But no, she stayed just as tight lipped as ever. Everyone seemed to be very understanding once they realized how she was acting. Still defensive, untrusting...even scared. Even so, Glenn wasn't discouraged. She would come around, he just knew it.

He sat by her side while she was laying on the couch, Dale attending to her ankle. She wasn't happy about the situation at all, that was clear. Idly, Glenn wondered what the girl looked like when she smiled...and he made that one of his goals for the near future.

"What do you think, Dale? It broken?" Shane, who had been leaning in the door way spoke evenly in the quiet room. He took a few slow steps towards the couch, watching the old man work.

"Sprained pretty bad, that's for sure, but I can't tell if it's broken." Lori entered the room and handed Dale a blue pouch. He thanked her and went back to studying the girl's ankle. "It's already starting to bruise pretty bad. You'll need to stay off it for the next few days, miss." As he pressed the blue pouch to her joint, she nearly jumped halfway up the couch. The cold...she had not been expecting. Dale looked surprised at first, then his expression turned into a (very amused) grin. "Sorry miss. Should've warned you there...we're gonna need to keep that ankle of yours cool." The old man patted the arm of the couch, where her foot had been resting. She hesitated, and before she could stop herself, she looked at Glenn. Of course, this made his heart leap once or twice and he nodded, moving a hand to her shoulder.

"It's okay." He assured her softly. Suddenly he was aware that this moment was just _slightly_ too tender for all the other eyes in the room. So of course...he ended with a joke. "When you're all better, we'll go dancing." He grinned and winked at her. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, he could've sworn he'd seen a blush cross her fair skin. His comment had earned chuckles from Lori and Dale, while Shane grinned a little from his place nearby. Slowly she repositioned her leg so Dale could set the icepack against her bruising ankle. Low in her throat, she groaned. The sound did not escape Glenn...he wanted to hear her speak. It was driving him absolutely crazy. He needed his answers, he needed to _know_!

...He also needed to brush up on his dancing skills.

**A/N  
>Sooo? Are you getting annoyed yet?<br>Do you want to know more about this chick?  
>Lemme know what you're thinking!<strong>

**And I apologize for any typos..I'm sure there are plenty. Late night writing can be a cruel mistress. (Did that even make sense?)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:  
>Your continuing reviews make me squee x3<strong>

**I'm glad you guys are still with me! (Oh no..rhyming.)  
>Thank you for your help on the ages! I'm gonna go with Glenn being 22...and I hope no one minds.<strong>

**On to it, then! I hope you enjoy. And I own nothing of The Walking Dead!**

The remainder of that evening went by pretty smoothly. The girl still hadn't said anything, but she had gotten used to the ice pack on her ankle, and the small group finally coaxed her into taking some pain medication they had left in the med kit. Those tiny pills knocked her out completely, but considering how exhausted and overwhelmed she must be, one could have easily guessed that the pills weren't entirely to blame. Glenn stayed close, reading a book, drawing...anything he could do to keep himself entertained while she slept. When no one else was in the room or passing by, he would find his attention straying back to the little mystery sleeping deeply on their sofa. Before he knew it...he had begun to draw her picture. _"Way to be creepy, man."_ He thought to himself as he realized what he had done. It didn't do her justice, of course, but Glenn never claimed to be an artist himself. When Andrea and Lori entered the room, he quickly shut his sketchbook.

"She still sleepin'?" Lori asked, holding a plate full of food and a glass of water. At that moment, the young woman's eyes opened and focused on the two standing near her. Had she even been sleeping at all? Lori looked surprised for a moment. "Oh, you're awake! How do you feel?"

And again, silence.

"Are you hungry? The boys did well today, so none of this food had to be, uh..re-hydrated." The poor mother tried to make a joke, but it just wound up making the room seem more awkward as the girl stared at the plate warily for a moment before she shook her head. Lori was instantly more concerned.

"Are you sure? When was the last time you - "

"I'm sure she'll be hungry later," Andrea interrupted, wanting to ease the situation. She offered a small smile. "We can find her something then." Glenn continued to watch from the corner, feeling invisible until the blonde shot a glance his way, pausing for a moment before looking back at the other two. Andrea continued, hoping for the best. "Do you want a shower? They're communal, but they have curtains and everything...I was just on the way there myself." It was nice of her to offer, but...Glenn could tell how awkward Andrea was feeling. It's kind of hard to suggest a group shower to a complete stranger, even though she may need help. He held his breath until he saw her slowly prop herself up on her elbows, then attempt to move her legs off the couch. Immediately, all three of them were at her side, trying to help. To say that their no-named guest was surprised was definitely an understatement. Andrea grinned and let out a short laugh.

"Glenn, why don't you see what everyone else is up to? Lori and I will help our friend here." She grinned a little at him.

"Uh..." He nodded his head once, feeling his face turn red. "Right." With one last reassuring smile towards the girl, he scurried out of the room to compose himself before actually finding everyone.

After his face had returned to it's normal color, Glenn wandered into the main area. He assumed it was some kind of "mess hall" type situation, but he had never really been an expert on army lingo. That was where the kitchen sat, and there were tables everywhere, so he assumed that was the correct term.

"There you are." Rick said loudly, announcing his friend's entrance. "You missed out on dinner. Everything alright?" The sheriff watched the young man carefully, trying to hide his grin just in case something had gone wrong and he was unaware.

"Yeah." He nodded, looking at no one in particular. "She just slept." He hoped she did, anyway. "Andrea and Lori are helping her get cleaned up."

"Good." Rick replied, sipping on his glass of water, his food having disappeared quite a while ago.

"Has she said anything yet?" Shane inquired, surprising Glenn a little bit...but he guessed that a new, silent member of their group was causing a little excitement. God knows _he_ was about to go crazy with curiosity. Glenn shook his head, and Carol shifted uneasily, combing her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"Why won't she talk?" She asked, her voice quiet, but urgent. "It makes me nervous."

"She just needs time." Lori said from the hall before entering the room and taking a seat next to her husband. "You said you guys found her on her own, right?"

"Right." Rick said, nodding. "Could've been by herself for days now...maybe something just happened to her group." He paused, trying to plan his words carefully. "All of us know what it's like out there...and she's lucky we found her. She'll tell us what happened in time."

"What if she just got separated from her group?" Sophia spoke up for the first time that night, causing everyone to pause and take a minute to look at the little girl.

"Well...if you got away from us, wouldn't you be fighting to get back by now?" He asked with a little twinkle in his eye. Sophia smiled and nodded her head, causing a few people around the table to chuckle.

"It still makes me nervous." Carol continued on with her point. "I'm not sayin' we need to kick her out, not by any means! I just think we should be careful. We've all seen this..._apocalypse_ do crazy things to people. I'm just not so sure we need to give her our full trust yet."

"Whatsa' matter there, Carol?" Daryl finally spoke up, his expression clearly amused. "Ya' never take home a stray kitten before?" That caused the woman to smile a little and earned a few laughs from around the table.

"I was just mentioning it." Carol said, a small smile still on her face. Glenn had not moved from his spot by the door. He thanked God that the tension in the room eased, and everyone seemed fine again. Taking his hat off and running a hand through his hair, the young man took a seat near Shane, facing the door and tried to get his mind to relax.

She felt so awkward...so out of place. She didn't belong here, she wanted to keep moving. She didn't know these people. Why were they being so nice, so helpful? Did they want something from her? All she had was a few personal items...not very many clothes. Whatever she still had in her small drawstring backpack was all she could offer...and they didn't _seem_ like the type to want anything..._inappropriate._ There were two kids running around, for crying out loud. Still...she had heard stories of how the new world changed people. And she _wasn't_ just referring to the undead. She had heard stories of people killing other (non infected) people. Men finding helpless women and having their way with them.

There were very few _good_ stories floating around among the survivors out there.

"Come on," The blonde woman that had helped her get cleaned up was suddenly beside her. After everything that had happened, there was no reason to wonder why the girl was so reluctant to trust these strangers. But still...these people were slowly winning her over. Especially this new woman, Andrea. She had to remember names...she was always so bad with them. And the other guy, the one that was always around, the one that was the first to chase after her earlier. They hadn't been formally introduced, but she had picked up on his name from hearing everyone else say it. Glenn. For some reason, he concerned her the most. After months of expecting the worst out of the rest of the human race, she found his complete, sudden care for her...a little frightening. Why did he run after her like that? Their group was already big enough. What did he want?

"Lets go see if you've found your appetite yet. I'm sure everyone's anxious to see how you're doing." She knew that Andrea was trying to make her feel better, but the thought of everyone sitting in a room, staring at her made her stomach do flips. If Andrea realized that the girl was limping slower than usual, she didn't mention it. She was not in any kind of hurry to get in there.

The conversation in the room ceased as soon as the pair limped in. The girl tried to look everyone in the eye at first, but that plan quickly crumbled after the third attempt. Instead, she focused her eyes on the floor, acting like she was just being extra careful.

"Well look who's gettin' around!" Rick spoke up, his voice more cheerful than usual.

"How's that ankle feeling?" Dale asked, leaning on one of the tables. Had they really expected a cold shower to ease her into talking? She wondered vaguely, a sarcastic tone returning to her mind. It felt like quite a while since she was safe enough for sarcasm...and that worried her for some reason. After a moment of silence, Andrea decided to speak for her.

"I think the cool water probably did it some good. The bruises are starting to show more, though. She'll need another ice pack for tonight." Maybe she could keep this up and just have Andrea translate for her during her stay. And hopefully it would be a short stay. She wasn't planning on being here long. She just needed to get her ankle back in working condition, and she could be on the move again.

"Well I'm sure we can manage that." Rick said, smiling some more. She could tell that he was trying to be extra friendly. And she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

"Hell, quit runnin' yer mouth an' let the girl sit." Daryl chimed in. "There's an open seat next ta' Glenn there." He smirked and winked when Glenn shot him a flabbergasted look.

"Come on kids," Carol suddenly stood, possibly trying to get the focus off of poor Glenn as quickly as possible. "Lets get to bed. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to talk to.." The woman trailed off. She could tell that this whole "not knowing her name thing" was starting to get annoying. "This new young lady tomorrow." She smiled at the girl kindly. Kind, but she could have sworn she looked slightly put out. Not that she could blame her, the group have saved her life, given her new clothes, cleaned her up...and now they were feeding her. Her name was the very _least_ she could give them.

The children exited the room with Carol after saying goodnight, and she sat across from Glenn with Andrea since it was the closest available seat.

"The mac and cheese is a little cold..and the green beans." Lori set the plate down in front of her, then frowned. "It's all too cold. Hold on, I'll..find a way to heat it." Before she could take it away, the girl gently held on to both sides of the plate and looked up at the mother, smiling just ever so slightly. She was grateful, and for the first time all day, she felt like it showed. Lori (and everyone else, to be honest) looked surprised for a moment.

"Oh, are you...? Okay." Lori nodded, looking as if her train of thought had been thrown out the window. She handed her a fork and a bottle of water, then sat next to her husband again. The young woman could feel everyone stealing glances at her as she ate, but she could hardly bring herself to care. Yes, the food was just about stone cold, but it was the best thing she had tasted in her whole life...okay, that was an overreaction. But she had been living off of poorly cooked things in a can, over fire...maybe the occasional pop tart. Eating something that had actually been decently cooked, even though it was cold it was just...amazing. The group continued their conversations, laughing and joking. She pretended not to be paying attention, but she was listening to everything they were saying. Watching how they treated each other. They seemed close. Like a real family. That made her nervous.

Suddenly Rick realized that they hadn't all formally introduced themselves to the new girl. So he went around the room, everyone smiling at her when their names were called. Well...everyone smiled except the one with the crossbow - Daryl. He did nod his head, however, and that was just as good. After that, she realized they were waiting, again, for her to speak up. When she turned her attention silently back to her (nearly empty) plate, they picked their conversations back up again and she felt an annoying little feeling of guilt gnawing at her. She finished off the last of her mac and cheese and set her fork down, glancing around a bit before settling her gaze on the empty plate.

Slowly the conversation died out and she swallowed a few times, considering.

"Well," Rick started, standing and stretching a little, "I s'pose it's about my bedtime. For now, you can just bunk with Andrea, Carol and the kids. It'll be a little crowded tonight, but we can clear out another room tomorrow. It's good to have you with us.."

"Hope."

The girl's voice was very soft, very quiet, almost shy. Her gaze lifted nervously from her plate. Suddenly she was extremely self conscious. Did everyone hear her? Did they understand her? As soon as her eyes locked with Glenn's, though, she felt her chest swell and grow tight at the same time. The way he was smiling at her...it was just a small smile, but it was that combined with the way he was _looking_ at her. A wary smile painted it's way onto her lips as well, and she almost forgot that everyone else was still there, watching her. All smiling as well. (Some more than others, obviously.)

"It's good to have you with us, Hope."

**A/N **

**Too cheesey? It's late again. I get cheesier when it's late.**

**Let me know what you think! We'll get some more Glenn in the next chapter...perhaps some fluff. Who out there likes fluff?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

**Chapter four alreadyyy? :o  
>Well this one is dedicated to Willow The Collie! She leaves the best reviews and has been with me since Chapter One! Thank you dear ;3<strong>

**As for the rest of you...thank you for adding me to your favorite story and story alerts! ^^ That's really awesome, but I wanna know what you're thinking! So stop by and leave a review sometime ;D**

**That's in for the PSA...I do not own The Walking Dead!**

It was like falling down a rabbit hole...and not the sweet Disney kind, or even the cracked out Tim Burton kind. It was darker. Something pulled straight out of American McGee's brain and thrown into her own subconscious. Maybe she was just reliving what had happened completely. Maybe it really _did_ happen the way she was dreaming it now. Not that she knew she was dreaming, no, it felt _very_ real. Shadows and faces, people screaming, writhing in agony, blood everywhere. God, she hoped this was all just a greatly exaggerated version of what she'd been through...If these were just straight up memories, it was a wonder she hadn't found a pistol and bit the bullet - literally. She didn't know where she was going, but her feet seemed to. Her ankle was fine, she was just as fast as ever, but it felt like a giant hand was squeezing her lungs, her heart was about to burst through her chest. She didn't know why, but she was terrified. It wasn't so much what she was seeing in front of her. The Walkers were horrifying in their own right, yes, but that wasn't her main concern. More than anything, the Walkers just made her sad...Those were people once. Someone loved them, they loved somebody. She supposed some survivors found it easy just to shoot them in the head and move along, and that was probably the safest attitude to have...but she couldn't help seeing the face of someone she loved every time she was forced to defend herself.

The shadowed hand was gripping even tighter now, and she tried to speed up. She could feel sweat drops pouring down her neck, they were burning so hot that, for a moment, she thought she was on fire. Suddenly she felt fingernails dig into the flesh of her back, ripping through her shirt. She screamed, but she continued to run. Someone was calling out to her. The voice was faint, but so familiar. She ran faster and faster, dodging through dark alleys, through gangs of the undead, determined to reach the person calling her name. Though it was still faint, the voice was getting louder. Finally she saw a silhouette glowing brightly, standing out from the darkness of the world. Tears sprung to her eyes as she realized who it was that was calling to her.

Just a short distance away, she saw her mother standing there, reaching out for her.

Hope tried to call to her, tried to reach out and touch her, but she was suddenly frozen. Fear gripped at her insides as her mother continued to repeat her name, sadly. All of a sudden, her mother began to cry, and Hope found herself unable to hold her tears back as well. Then, her mother started to scream. Her body began to bleed and the skin on her face began to peel away as if a demon were digging their fingers into her. Hope screamed in agony and tried to lunge forward, trying to save her mother, but she immediately felt nails in her back again. Then they were everywhere.

The entire base awoke to a blood curdling scream. Glenn's heart lept into his throat as he instantly realized who it was. It wasn't hard to guess. He was out of his bed and on his feet in no time, a pistol in his hand, just in case. Since T-Dog was on watch, Daryl was right behind him, immediately followed by Shane while Dale hurried along as quickly as he could. As they neared the room Hope shared with the other women and children, he saw a small shadowed figure limp out into the hallway. He called out her name, and she fell against the wall, disoriented and seemingly only half awake, she continued to try and slide down the wall, attempting to get away from some unseen force.

"Hope!" He called again, this time dropping the pistol and pulling her to him. She was drenched in sweat. For a moment, she screamed and struggled. "Hope! It's okay, it's me! It's Glenn! You're alright, you were just dreaming! You're alright.." After a moment of them standing there, Glenn hugging her close while everyone looked on, worried, the young woman finally calmed down. (Enough to stop screaming, at least) Her breathing slowed, and her muscles relaxed slightly. Still, Glenn continued to try and comfort her, telling her she was safe, she didn't have to worry, she was among friends...they wouldn't let anything happen to her. He meant all of it, and he hoped that she could tell.

Slowly, he felt her pull away from him, until he only loosely had a hold of her shoulders. She didn't look at anyone, it was almost like she was seeing things that no one else was, shadows in the hallway. Her eyes wouldn't focus on anything in particular. Abruptly she lurched forward, throwing herself towards the nearby room of showers and falling against the door. He could tell that her ankle was really not helping the situation. She took a few more steps and disappeared into the room. Without missing a beat, Glenn began to follow her.

"Glenn." Rick called, causing the young man to pause and glance at him. "Give her a minute."

Everyone looked around at each other nervously, just waiting.

Well if _that_ little stunt didn't make her look like a Grade A nutcase, she wasn't sure what would. Hope's senses were gradually returning to her as she sat, fully clothed and leaned against the shower wall while the cool water soaked her to the bone. It was just a dream...It was just a dream. She had just been dreaming. Glenn's words were ringing in her ears, but the dream still felt so real. The death grip on her lungs, the way her heart wanted to explode, the complete fear and agony she had felt...and those nails digging through her flesh. The image of her mother's face being clawed off was shining like some kind of macabre beacon every time she closed her eyes. No matter the context, Hope felt like she should be relieved to hear her mother's voice. At first she didn't sound _so_ sad...it just sounded like she was looking for her, she didn't know where she was. Thinking back on it just made her heart heavier and her eyes began to well up again so she shut them, only to let out an agonized whimper as her mother's disfigured image popped back into her mind.

Maybe she really was going batshit insane.

Glenn was soon left alone in the hallway. As everyone calmed, they decided that it was time to go back to bed. There was no guessing about who was going to make sure their new addition was okay. So there he sat, across from the door, just staring. Waiting. Counting to one hundred, like Rick had instructed. It seemed ridiculous to him, this waiting. What if she was sitting in there, having some kind of nervous break down, clawing at her skin? What if she found something sharp in there and tried to take her life?

...Quickly deciding that the number one hundred was overrated, Glenn vaulted to his feet and opened the door softly, taking a look around. He heard one of the showers going and cautiously walked over, peaking into the curtain he found only slightly pulled closed.

"Hope?" He called, his voice soft. The image of her sitting on the cold shower floor, clothes soaking wet, just staring off into nothing instantly broke his heart. He opened the curtain all the way, but didn't shut the water off. If nothing else, the cool water could help bring her back to her senses. "Hope?" He tried again, a little louder this time. When she still didn't respond, he shifted his weight and tried to shake the sinking feeling he had in his chest. "Come on...you're gonna make yourself sick."

When she still didn't move, Glenn stepped into the water with her and sat down. Slowly, not wanting to startle her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her gently to his chest. He rested his chin lightly on top of her head and held her close. Words failed him at this point, and he was pretty sure they were useless. She didn't resist in the slightest, though, which he considered to be a positive thing...unless she was still in her crazed dream state. Then it didn't really matter anyway, he supposed. He watched her carefully, studying her breathing, looking for any signs of problems. Suddenly she shivered, and he moved to stand.

"Come on, you need to get out of this cold water."

"Everyone thinks I'm crazy now." Her voice was normal, even. Quiet. He froze and waited a moment before pulling her back to look at him. Her eyes met his briefly, then she quickly looked away.

"_No_, Hope. They don't think you're crazy. They're just worried about you..._I'm_ worried about you." Her shoulders sank lower and her gaze turned towards the drain. They sat in silence for a tense moment, then Glenn spoke up again, gripping her shoulders gently. His actions surprised her, and she looked him in the eye again. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it right now, I understand. But we can all tell that you've been through a lot...more than we can imagine. So...if you don't want to tell everyone at once, if you don't want to tell _me_...just tell _someone_. It's not good to hold everything inside like that, you could really be hurting yourself." Her eyes stayed focused on him as he spoke, but she didn't move a muscle. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, maybe she was just trying to process things. Whatever was on her mind, it was making him anxious. He brought a hand to her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Her eyes were just a little red now, he hadn't seen her cry but he could only imagine. It broke his heart all over again. "Hope, just tell me what to do. Anything. What do you need me to do?" She didn't respond immediately, which only caused his concern to grow. He was about to ask again, but she finally spoke up.

"Just..." She started, but quickly looked away, suddenly unsure of herself. He stroked her cheek one more time while his other hand slid from her shoulder, finding her hand and giving it a tender, reassuring squeeze. Still unsure, she timidly met his gaze again. "Just...hold me like that again." She had barely even whispered those last five words, but they rang in Glenn's ears like he was standing next to a bell tower. And his heart, instead of breaking once more, melted in his chest.

She couldn't believe she just said that. It was so _pitiful _and _pathetic_. It made her skin crawl! She hated herself for saying it. Glenn was just being nice following her in here the way he did. Then again, he had been following her awful closely since the first moment they laid eyes on each other. He was probably just trying to get in her pants, right? Really, the world had ended and guys still just want to get some ass. That's probably the only reason he even ran after her, he saw his chance. Poor little wounded dove needed his care and he just came in and swooped her up.

In an instant, she was cuddled up to his chest again and her eyes widened in surprise. He held her closer this time and rocked for a while. Just when she felt herself being lulled back to sleep, despite the cold, she felt him plant a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"I'll hold you like this for as long as you want." He spoke in a low voice near her ear, trying to keep quiet since he wasn't sure if she was sleeping yet or not. Hope felt a short burst of happiness explode through her chest and one last tear escape before she was lulled back into a dreamless sleep.

**A/N:**

**Cheesy enough for you? **

**Sorry if parts of the dream were a little too graphic...I was listening to creepy music o.o**

**I would love to know what you thought about this one!  
>(Seriously, though, was that cheesy enough?)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**  
><strong>I know, I know...two updates in one night? Has she gone crazy?<strong>

**Well the answer is no, not yet. I just got the urge to write a little more, but I wanted to end the last chapter in that spot...**  
><strong>I hate when chapters are too long, yanno?<strong>  
><strong>Anywho, hope you enjoy! Please leave a review!<strong>  
><strong>I do not own The Walking Dead, quit rubbing it in!<strong>

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><p>x<p>

"We're just not gonna talk about it?" Carol's voice seemed louder than usual as it filled the quiet dining area. They had all wandered in, everyone looking a bit solemn. They picked at their plates but said very little. After a short pause, Rick spoke up.

"What's there to say? She had a nightmare, we all have. Nothin' we need to get concerned about."

"_Nothin' to get concerned about?_" Carol's mouth dropped. "That girl was screamin' like a _banshee_ last night - as if the devil _himself_ was after her! _That's_ nothin' to be concerned about?"

"How long you think she's been holdin' them nightmares in, Carol?" Shane spoke, coming to the girl's defense. "Bet she ain't had a minute to rest since the damn world went to hell. S'gonna take some time."

"I dunno how much time we'll have if she keeps wakin' up _screamin'_ like that." T-Dog added. "I'm just sayin'...I heard that girl up on the roof. She could be attractin' walkers."

"So what do you wanna do?" Andrea asked defensively, looking between T-Dog and Carol. "Find a muzzle to put on her? She's just a scared young girl! Probably lost everyone she's ever known...that _does_ something to you. You all know that." An uncomfortable silence settled in the room, and no one really moved. At last, Carol spoke.

"I'm sorry...it's just been so long since we've had a stranger around. It just makes me nervous. We still only just know her name."

"Lord, Carol, she's only been with us a day and a half." Shane sighed. "You want her to tell us her life story in one sitting? Give her some _time_."

"Fine, fine." Carol nodded, realizing that she was being unreasonable. "I just didn't want anyone bringin' us any trouble."

"And we understand the feeling." Lori commented. "None of us want any trouble, and we _should_ keep an eye on her. We just shouldn't suspect her of being a problem when she's only just had a nightmare."

Breakfast continued a little more lightheartedly than it began. One a few people were missing from the table.

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><p>x<p>

Glenn knew it had to be morning. Truthfully, he had been awake for a while now. He had heard people walking by. Felt their stares, heard their unspoken comments. But he didn't care. He was just fine where he was.

After another hour of sitting under the running water, Glenn had turned it off and picked Hope up so she didn't hurt her ankle any worse than she did while hobbling around on it earlier. She protested, though, only half awake. She had already disturbed everyone in her room enough with her screaming...she didn't want to go back in and wake them up again. Well...he couldn't just leave her in the shower, so he grabbed some clothes he had for her to change into, so she didn't make herself sick and he grabbed some for himself, of course. They wound up sleeping on the couch she had napped on earlier, when they were trying to doctor her ankle. So there he was, holding Hope...this beautiful, complicated, vulnerable, impossible, mysterious young woman in his arms.

Yeah, so he was getting a little sappy. It wasn't everyday he had a pretty girl sleeping in his clothes! Especially not recently...He was allowed to be a little (stupidly) happy about it. When he was sure no one was around, and she was still asleep, he would open her eyes and watch her. Sometimes she would sigh a little heavier, her brow furrowing as she looked pensive in her sleeping thoughts for a moment. Then, at last, her expression would relax and she would look peaceful again. Her dark blonde hair hair curled in all sorts of ways after they had exited the shower last night, so now it reached just a little past her collarbone. Some strands still looked particularly golden in the bits of sunshine that were shining through. Her skin was just as soft as the first time he had held her hand, and he had to be careful not to focus too much on that. Those types of thoughts could create some...rather awkward problems. He was going to let her sleep however long she wanted to. She needed it. And if he was helping by being there, well...who was he to leave, right?

Just as soon as he thought that, she groaned sleepily and rolled around on the couch. She was face to face with Glenn when she opened her eyes. The blonde blinked once, twice before she actually focused on him. Her brow raised.

"Did I wake you up?" Oh he was so busted. Glenn smiled a little.

"No, I...woke up just a minute ago." That's his story, anyway. She smiled sleepily at him. (And he thought that he might die right there)

"M'sorry..I'll get outta your way, you're probably hungry." Hope moved to sit up, and Glenn did as well.

"_No_ - uh.." That sentence didn't get off to a good start. She looked at him questioningly. "I mean...I'm not that hungry. And _you're_ not supposed to be walking around on that ankle. Let me help you." She didn't fight him when he gently pulled her up from the couch and wrapped an arm around her waist. He started guiding her towards the dining area before she stopped hopping along.

"Ah.." She squinted a bit. "I should probably change.." She motioned vaguely to his baggy shirt and shorts.

"Oh...right. Probably shouldn't go in sporting the latest in men's fashion." This earned him a short laugh. (And that was a start)

"No, I just mean...I don't want everyone thinking - " Hope continued to stumble over her words. "I don't want anyone getting the wrong impression." She gave him a firm look that made him blush a little bit.

"Right." He nodded. "We don't need any gossip around the group." Glenn offered her a smile as they turned around and headed back to her room. To be completely honest, he was just over the moon at the moment. They had a _conversation_. She _spoke_ to him. And seemed likely to make a habit of it! Take joy in the little things. They reached her door and paused, awkwardly.

"...I think I got it from here." She grinned, obviously a little embarrassed as she avoid his gaze and removed her arm from around his shoulders.

"Right." He jumped slightly. "Right..." The young man quickly removed his arm from her waist and stood there for a bit, not knowing what to do. "I'm gonna change too...Here, I'll just wait for you, you'll need some help to get to the, uh..mess hall. Take your time." He could tell she was amused by how completely awkward he had just sounded, but he didn't care. She just smiled and nodded before disappearing behind the door, and he hustled down the hall to get changed himself.

What the _hell_ had she gotten herself into?

Hope wobbled around the room, having a mini panic attack. She couldn't find the clothes she arrived in, she assumed the women had taken them away after seeing them laying, soaking wet in a corner somewhere. Where _had_ she left her clothes after Glenn brought her something to change into? She wouldn't blame the group if they decided to burn those clothes, though she really hoped they didn't...they may have been horribly dirty, but they did still hold some sort of sentimental value. Wobbling around some more, she reached her small drawstring backpack and fished around in there. It's amazing what your mind thinks to pack when you're about to leave everything you know. But she couldn't allow herself to get lost down memory lane. Despite what Glenn told her, she had a feeling that if she took _too_ long, he would knock down the door to check on her, and that could lead to a very awkward, unwanted moment. She dug around and found some (reasonably?) clean underwear. She rolled her eyes when she realized her choices all those months ago. Of course her mind told her to bring along the _pretty_ underpants. She rolled her eyes at herself, but began to shrug out of Glenn's clothes and dress in her own.

Her mind wandered back to the problems rolling around in her head. She would have to apologize for last night to everyone...Especially Andrea, Carol and those kids. To be honest, Hope felt like she didn't remember a _lot_ of last night, but she remembered someone's horrifying scream...and then she remembered realizing that it was _herself_ screaming. That was not a great realization. Then there was the intense desire to run...and then everyone was in the hallway. She heard screaming then, but she thought it was only in her head...

And then there was Glenn.

Oh, this was not supposed to happen. She was not supposed to get close to anyone, especially not a cute boy. (What..._cute_? Where'd that come from?) The girl may not be able to remember much about the previous night...but she was fairly certain she remembered everything after Glenn came to check on her. The way he indulged her crazy behavior, sitting in the freezing shower himself. What he whispered to her...It could still bring a tear to her eye if she focused on it. _Why_ did he have to be so _sweet_? She did not need to get involved in some kind of apocalyptic Cinderella-type fairy tale! It would be better to just keep running around, why was everyone here so content to just _settle_ somewhere? Didn't they realize that Walkers were _everywhere_? Sure, you may _think_ you're safe, but then one morning you wake up with an undead stench up your nose and rotting teeth at your throat. She glared down at her black and blue ankle, willing it (or threatening it) with her mind to heal quickly so she could stop this nonsense and get on with this miserable excuse for a life. She heard a quiet knock on the door.

"You okay in there?" It was Glenn. She was right. Turning and looking in the small mirror at the corner of the room, she studied herself. Black yoga pants (the was some kind of reason for packing those, she was sure. They were flexible?" And a long blue tank top under a black hoodie. So she looked like she was ready for a jog. She doubted any of these people were fashion critics in their previous lives.

"Yeah." She called, hobbling over to the door and opening it, coming awfully close to Glenn's face again. After a moment of them staring at each other like that, she looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, getting fidgety. "We should go."

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><p>x<p>

Lori met the pair at the door, a plate of food in each hand.

"Oh," She started, clearly surprised. "I was just coming to check on you guys. Come sit."

The duo hobbled along slowly, following Lori to two empty spots as she set the plates down. Hope could feel their looks again, this time it felt much worse...this time she had actually done something _worth_ stares. Silently, she picked at her breakfast.

"How are you feeling?" Lori asked, her tone nice and genuinely concerned. Hope felt her voice disappear again. It was like she could say a word if she tried, her throat suddenly felt like it was wrapped in sand paper. She _wanted_ to answer, but...she just could find her words. So she continued to stare at her food, her muscles tense. She wanted to be invisible.

"She slept through the night after you guys went back to bed." Glenn offered, his voice a little cheerful, surprising everyone - mostly Hope herself.

"Well that is great to hear." Rick smiled at the both of them and started off on a different subject. Hope shot Glenn a brief smile, which he returned, a hand resting reassuringly on her back for a moment before the two dug into their food. She managed to glance over to the kids, only to find them watching her. Both Carl and Sophia gave her the sweetest smiles...she knew she was _really_in trouble then.

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><p>x<p>

The day seemed to go by quickly, there was so much to do. Sophia and Carl were busy with worksheets that Carol had made, while Carol herself, along with Lori were on laundry duty. Dale was keeping guard on the roof while the rest of the guys were helping clean out a room for Andrea and Hope to share. The rooms were small, and many of them were still filled with items from their previous occupants. It was obvious that this was some sort of shelter before something happened...these belongings were not just from soldiers. Andrea was just supposed to be looking after Hope, making sure she was staying off her ankle, but that quickly got boring. They were sitting on the grass outside when Andrea decided to try talking again.

"So I guess I should thank you for getting me out of laundry duty today." Andrea winked at the girl who had been occupying herself by peeling a blade of grass. Hope smirked a little, wrinkling her nose and Andrea laughed. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all about pulling my weight, but sometimes..." She sighed. "I didn't fall into the role of a housewife for a _reason_. Not that I'm knocking it, Lori and Carol do a great job. Just sometimes, I think if I scrub _one_ more of Daryl's dirty shirts, I just may light them all on fire." That earned a few quiet laughs from the young girl. Andrea smiled thoughtfully at her, tilting her head to the side just a bit.

"You know.." She started, leaning back on her hands to soak up more sun. "I get why you're not talking, I think." Noticing Hope tensing slightly, she quickly continued. "You're probably thinking that if you _start_ talking, everyone will want to know your business." She paused, making sure Hope was listening. "Well...that's true. They all want to know _now_, actually. It's driving them crazy..." She grinned a little, remembering her odd little family's recent conversations. "I just want you to know...I don't care if you never tell me what you've been through. I don't even want to imagine it, so I sure as hell know you don't want to relive it. So don't even worry about it. You don't have to keep the 'mute' act up around me, okay?" At that moment, Hope turned to look at Andrea, her face void of most emotion.

"...Okay." She said, her voice very quiet again. Andrea just about beamed.

"Good..." The woman pursed her lips. "I do have two questions, though." Reacting quickly to the look on Hope's face, she continued. "Nothing serious. First one...how old are you?"

"Twenty one." Hope answered, licking her lips as she realized how dry they felt. Andrea raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, really? I was thinking teenager for sure." Hope smirked and shrugged. She did get that a lot. "Okay, next question..." A slightly devious smirk painted it's way to Andrea's lips. "What's going on between you and Glenn?"

Hope gulped.

"...Nothing?"

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><p>x<p>

**A/N  
>LIAR!<br>Oh, sorry. Telling on my own characters...this chapter just seemed to be a little filler..ish.**

**Sorry about that :/ More exciting things to come, I swear!  
>I'd still love to hear what you thought. Until next time!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**Well here we are, chapter six! I'll try to make it more lively than the last.  
>Didn't think I was going to get around to this today, we had to have my dog<br>of ten years to sleep this afternoon and it's been rough. But then I thought...**

**What better time to write another chapter? ;P Now I can be sad AND creative!**

**Hope you enjoy - I don't own The Walking Dead!  
><strong>

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><p>x<p>

Hope had managed to weasel her way out of conversing with Andrea any more on the matter of Glenn. That was most certainly not something she wanted to discuss. Hope had never been good with boys _before_ the end of the world, it's not like she was about to just magically be fantastic with them after the fact. _Yes_, Glenn was sweet. He was caring, he was...comforting. She may even go as far as to say that he was _charming_. She really was starting to feel like she could trust him. (She would always throw "starting to" to make herself feel better) But all of those things were pointless when it came down to it. So _what_ if they fell in love? What were they supposed to do...screw each others brains out? The world wasn't a great place before - she _definitely_ didn't want to bring any kids into this wonderful new change of scenery! A relationship would be pointless. They were trouble a year ago, and they're trouble now. She didn't need any of this mess, and she wouldn't attach herself any more to him!

Of course, those thoughts flew threw the window as soon as he walked through the doorway.

"Hope?" He called, squinting in the dim lighting. When he realized that it was in fact Hope sitting on the little couch, he quickly walked over. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She nodded, her disheveled hair falling over her shoulders with the movement. Still concerned, he sat next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Hope looked at him in that moment, trying to read his eyes. She had started to feel like some kind of circus freak and she wanted to know if she was more than just a way to pass the time. The look he had was one of pure concern...worry even. It made her brave expression crumble, and she looked at her hands resting in her lap.

"I don't think I woke anyone up this time." The dream had been just as terrifying and disturbing as the last. Instead of seeing her mother this time, however, she saw her grandmother. It hurt just as much to see her face ripped to shreds. How she woke up, though, was strange. She knew she was screaming in the dream, but she was finding it hard to breathe. When she finally woke up, her hand was clasping her mouth tightly while her face was completely buried in her pillow. The boys had managed to clear out a room for Hope and Andrea to share, so she only had to worry about waking one person. She was surprisingly stealthy with only one fully functioning ankle.

"Don't worry about that." Glenn insisted, bringing her back to the present. "Are you okay?" There he went again...being so _concerned_. It made her sick. (She _wished_ it made her sick. It was actually the polar opposite) Not knowing what to say, Hope just nodded and watched him as he sighed. "You know, you nearly scared me to death." He smirked at her, knocking into her shoulder gently. "Kinda creepy just sitting here in the dark."

"Well I can't really turn on any lights." She gave him a tiny smile in return. After a moment of silence, Glenn spoke up, his tone quieter and more careful than before.

"Do you wanna try sleeping again?" He could only _barely_ meet her gaze this time. Hope knew he had just finished his watch-shift and that he was probably tired.

"I'm afraid I'll wake Andrea up." She said, not exactly lying. Making excuses isn't lying, is it? "You go on ahead, I'll stay here."

"That's not really what I meant." His voice was still quiet, but she could tell that he hadn't meant to respond so quickly. Despite being a bit flustered, he was able to look her in the eye again. "I'm not leaving you alone here." It dawned on her.

"Oh...you mean.." Her voice trailed off and she felt like she was turning pink. They sat awkwardly for another moment before she nodded lightly and reached behind them for the blanket that was hanging there. Though it began in a much more awkward moment than the previous night, the two curled up on the couch together, Glenn wrapping his arms carefully around her so she wouldn't fall off the couch (_Obviously_.) and the pair slowly began to doze. It surprised her, how awake and ready to go she felt a moment ago, but now she felt relaxed...calm. (Happy?) With most of her mind elsewhere, she turned in his arms and snuggled up close to Glenn, nestling her head against his collarbone. Vaguely her brain registered that Glenn's arms had wrapped more tightly around her and he had begun stroking her hair gently.

They were both too tired to realize what they had done. (At least that's what she was going to tell herself in the morning)

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><p>x<p>

The group met them with another round of curious stares. Friendlier this time, since they'd all had a full night's sleep...or at least they hadn't been interrupted by a crazed girl screaming at the demons in her head. As she looked around some more, Hope realized that they weren't just looking friendly...they were downright _grinning_ at them. She supposed the rumor mill had started early that morning.

"There you are, Hope!" Andrea said, patting an empty spot next to her. "I was worried about you." Hope - helped by Glenn, of course - limped over to the table while Glenn himself took a seat across from her.

"How are you feeling?" Rick asked in a friendly tone while smiling at her. She returned his smile and nodded. They all knew her voice worked, but she didn't necessarily want to make a habit of using it. She wanted as _little_ attachment to these people as possible - was that so much to ask?

"Glenn takin' real good care of ya'?" Daryl asked from his usual spot, leaning against the wall. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye as her smirked at the younger man once again.

"Not in the way _you're_ thinking!" Glenn scowled, flustered. "We just fell asleep."

"Heard that'sa problem with a lotta yer kind." Daryl moved out of the way when Glenn's hat came flying in his direction, and the table erupted in laughs. Despite herself, Hope found herself laughing along with them. Maybe she was getting a little big-headed, but she could've sworn the room lightened even more as everyone realized she was laughing as well. She couldn't blame them for being relieved that she was showing some kind of positive emotion. Breakfast continued on like that. Everyone was laughing and making jokes. Hope continued to laugh, but never made a joke herself...she was never very good with jokes, anyway. She mostly just _did_ things to make people laugh. (_Sometimes_ it was intentional) After everyone was finished, Hope helped do the dishes...mostly she just dried them, but it was a start. She had never been very domestic, always joking with her friends about how what a terrible wife she would make someone someday. Oh, how times had changed. 

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><p>x<p>

It was nearing the end of the day and everyone had generally stopped doing their chores and seemed to be trying to relax. They were sitting in the room that held the most couches when Glenn entered with Shane and Dale, carrying an assortment of things.

"Hey, we found some stuff in some of the rooms." His arms full, he walked over to the small table and set them down. "Civilian rooms, I'm guessing.." He looked sad and went quiet for a moment, thinking of the people that used to occupy the rooms. Dale spoke up, snapping him out of it.

"Mostly just books...board games. We gotta deck of cards here, too."

"And this." Shane said, lifting an older looking, tan acoustic guitar. Glenn saw Hope perk up as soon as Shane mentioned it.

"Oh, does anyone know how to play?" Carol asked while sitting on the floor between Carl and Sophia. Shane sat on the floor near the couch where Andrea and Hope sat, plucking at a few strings.

"Does that sound right?" He asked, making a face as he tried to tune the instrument. No one was paying him much attention until Hope held out a hand. At that moment, everyone looked up from what they had been doing and watched as Shane handed her the guitar carefully, an amused smile on his face. No one spoke as she tested out the strings, adjusting the machine heads every so often. After a moment of her fiddling, she stroked the strings and smiled a bit, offering it back to Shane. He shook his head and held up a hand, still grinning.

"You know any songs?" She looked bashful for a moment, and Glenn felt his heart swell. It took him a second to realize that he was smiling at her like an idiot. She glanced at him as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bit her lip lightly, as if she was thinking of what to play. Adjusting the pick in her hand, she started playing a light tune. He didn't recognize it, but it felt a little folksy. Maybe it was something from her childhood - he had never heard it. When she finished, everyone clapped, slightly in awe. It seemed like it had been so long since they had heard any kind of music.

"That was amazing!" Lori laughed, clapping her hands together once more. "Where'd you learn to play like that?"

"I was a music major." Hope's voice sounded out of place in the quiet room, and she instantly realized it, looking down at the pick in her hand. He thought she was going to clam up again, but she spoke again, looking a little bashful at no one in particular. "And I've been playing since I was twelve..." Silence settled in the room again. Then, surprisingly, Sophia spoke up.

"Can you sing?" The little girl was excited, and everyone smiled. Especially Hope.

"What do you want me to sing?" Sophia scrunched up her nose and shrugged, still excited in the way only a child could be. Hope scrunched up her nose in return and relaxed as she thought for a moment. Without another word, she started strumming on the guitar again. She began to sing familiar lyrics, and Glenn swore he had never heard anything so beautiful in his life. Her voice was soft, but strong. The lyrics may not have been her own, but she _owned_ them. The song held so much emotion, and she looked like she was in a different place. Her body was in front of them, but her mind, her spirit was somewhere else. It was moving. Glenn didn't even think about looking around at everyone else to see their reactions. He was, in a word, enchanted. The song ended too soon, and everyone began their rounds of clapping again.

She smiled at him and continued to pick at the strings.

* * *

><p>x<p>

Everyone was sitting around the dinner table, laughing and having a good time. It was strange...even Carol seemed to be at ease around her. Hope didn't feel like so much of an outsider anymore. Sure, everyone else was, well...noticeably in sync, and Hope just wasn't. But that was to be expected. They had all obviously been together for a while. And Hope didn't need to be in sync. She just needed to make it as long as it took for her ankle to heal. As she finished off the last of her food, T-Dog walked in.

"Hope, do you need some more water?" Lori asked kindly as she stood from her seat.

"No, thank you. I'm fine." She shook her head. (So much for staying quiet.) She saw T-Dog stop in surprise.

"She talkin' now?" Rick nodded, and T-Dog paused for a moment, then turned to face Hope fully from across the room. "She tell you what happened to her?" Everyone in the room froze and Hope shifted uneasily in her seat.

"No." Rick answered carefully, but T-Dog sighed, aggravated and Rick was forced to continue. "We don't need to talk about this right now." He stood, giving the other man a firm look. It didn't help.

"Man, why _not_? Girl's been eatin' our food for days now, ain't barely said so much as a thank you! Now you all gettin' chatty while I'm sittin' up on that roof, but she still ain't tell you where she came from?" He was getting angry, and Hope began to slide out of her seat.

"T-Dog, you're just tired. There's no need for this, calm down."

"Calm _down_?" He shouted angrily. "No way, man! I'm tired of this! She needs to tell us where she came from, or she can go!"

"_I'll go_." Hope said, her voice sounding shaky, but still strong. She stood, however slouched from putting her weight on one foot. Everyone stared at her, shocked. After a moment, she realized she had to continue that thought. "As soon as I can walk well enough, I'll be out of your hair and you won't have to worry about me being any trouble..." For some reason, she felt a knot welling up in her throat. Whether or not she was afraid of being on her own again, or she was actually attached to these people, she didn't know. All she knew was that she needed to get out of that room. "I'm sorry."

An eruption of voices sounded off as she turned her back and headed towards the hall. T-Dog was yelling with Rick, more than a few people were calling her name. Were they really that upset about it? What was she to them? It was like T-Dog said, all she'd been doing was wasting their water and food. All she'd done for them was dry a few dishes and sing a few songs. She imagined once they finally _did_ get back on the road - she knew they would, everyone always does - that a traveling musician wouldn't really be a necessary part of their caravan. She was almost to her room when she heard Glenn behind her.

"Hope!" The tone he used made her heart crack a little. When she turned around to face him, it made her heart crumble entirely. His expression was a mixture between disbelief and total grief. They only stared at each other for a long while, Glenn with his heartbroken expression and Hope, doing her best to keep up a stoney expression. He didn't seem to be fooled. He took a few steps closer to her. "Did you really mean what you just said?"

"Yes." The quick, cold answer made the young man look even more upset.

"But..._why_? Do you have someone waiting for you? A group somewhere in the city?" She looked away from him.

"No." When she didn't continue, he pressed on.

"Are they somewhere else? In another town? Are they close." Without meaning to, she snapped.

"No, Glenn, I'm entirely fucking _alone_!" She was never one to curse, but this line of questioning was more than uncomfortable for her. She heard the other room quiet down after she yelled, which just ended up upsetting her more. Tears sprung to her eyes and she quickly turned away from him, trying to make it down the hallway as fast as possible. "Just go away." She turned a corner and Glenn gently caught her elbow and turned her to face him.

"Hope...why would you want to go off on your own? It's not safe, you won't have anyone there to look after you. You'll be better off with us."

"Why? So everyone can have some source of entertainment? I know it's probably _boring_ around without the crazy chick screamin' every night!" She couldn't hide what she was feeling anymore as the tears freed themselves and began to run down her cheeks. His expression softened considerably and he cupped her face, wiping at her tears with his thumbs.

"You know that's not what it is, Hope." His voice was only a whisper now, and he leaned forward so that he could rest his forehead against her's and still look into her eyes. "We care about you..._I_ care about you. Please...don't even think about leaving."

Hope squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will the tears to stop. Before she knew it, her hands were gripping Glenn's shirt, and he pulled her to him, his shoulder soaking up her tears. "It'd be better for everyone if I left." Her voice was muffled as she continued to cry against his shoulder.

"Shhh." He hushed her, rocking a little while running a hand up and down her back. "Stop thinking like that. You just need time to adjust. We're here for you, everyone wants you to stay." She raised her head slowly to look at him, her eyes full of doubt.

"Everyone?" He smiled slightly and moved a hand to her cheek again.

"_I_ want you to stay." He whispered. At that moment, it seemed like the air grew thick and warm. It was as if they were the only ones left in the world. He moved his head back a little and stroked her hair, watching the way it fell in the dim lighting. He brushed his thumb along her cheekbone, then down to her jaw, finally reaching her lips. He hesitated for a moment as he felt her tense. Gradually, though, she began to relax and he felt her lean into him. That was all the invitation he needed. Slowly, he leaned closer to her and gently captured her lips with his own. Her hands slid up his chest and her fingers entangled themselves in his hair while he kept one hand on her cheek, the other going to her waist. They stood there for one long, perfect moment. When they parted, both of them were slightly flushed, but they were quietly happy. The couple stood in silence for a moment before Hope found something to say.

"You sure know how to calm a girl down." He laughed softly at her joke and shrugged.

"I try." She smiled back at him while he ran a hand through her hair. "You're probably tired, right?" Her only answer was a meek nod. He smiled again. "I'll let you get to bed." Glenn helped her a few more steps until they got to her shared room. They stood awkwardly for a moment, as if both of them had something on their minds.

"Well...goodnight." He kissed her swiftly on the cheek and move to back away, but she grabbed his arm before he could turn.

"Wait." Her voice seemed really loud again, but it could have just been the ringing in her ears. "Please...stay." The request was purely innocent, they both knew that, no matter how the outside world would interpret it. It could have just been a coincidence, but Hope slept very well every time she was with Glenn...maybe he was her antidote to all this? He nodded once and opened the door for her. As they crawled into bed, he pulled her close and stroked her hair. At that moment, she knew what she had to do. She had to tell everyone her horror stories. For whatever reason, they wouldn't be happy without hearing it. She also knew something she _couldn't_ do.

Leave.

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><p>x<p>

**A/N:**

**Cheeeeeese?  
>I'm sorry guys, rough day. xD<strong>

**Please feel free to leave a review! I wanna know what you think.**

**I also have a vague idea for a Daryl story that ties into this one later...  
>Would anyone be interested in that?<br>I apologize for all possible typos. My eyes are stinging v.v **


	7. Chapter 7

**Whoops! Sorry I disappeared for a couple of days.**

**Life got super busy...you understand.**

**Anyway, here it is, chapter seven!  
>I hope you all enjoy, and please leave me a review, if you have time!<br>Thank you all so much for your reviews while I was gone...they really helped motivate me to get back to it!**

**I do not own the Walking Dead!**

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><p><em>She felt soft kisses dusting across her collarbone while his hands brushed slowly along her delicate sides. She was nervous, she felt her chest tighten in anticipation, but all she could do was squeeze her eyes shut and sigh while she combed her fingers through his hair. His breath was now teasing her abdomen as he paused briefly between each kiss. Now there was a distinct tingling below her stomach and as her source of pleasure got lower, her toes curled and his name escaped her lips in another sigh.<em>

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><p>Hope awoke with a slight jolt and she was suddenly very aware of how close Glenn was. He was awake, concern painted clear across his features even in the early morning light.<p>

"Hey, are you okay?" The young woman squinted a little, as if trying to figure him out. Did he really not know what just happened? When she didn't answer immediately, he questioned her again. "Did you have another nightmare?"

"What?" She asked a little quickly. Hope paused briefly before continuing, being very careful. "What was I doing?"

"You were moaning a lot." He pulled them both up into a sitting position, and her whole body jumped again at the sensation of his skin on her's. Of course, this only increased his concern. "You said my name right before you woke up. Was I in your dream?" She froze like that, only able to stare at him.

"...I-I'm going to get a shower. Go back to sleep, okay?" She smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine, I promise."

"Here, lemme help you get there - " He began to get off the bed, but she quickly placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Glenn, please." She smiled again. "I can make it. You baby me enough as it is." Hope smirked a little and used his shoulder to help push herself off the bed. When he looked like he was going to protest again, she held up a hand. "Shh. Lay down." Glenn was noticeably surprised with how stern her tone was. He could only do as he was told, but that didn't stop him from watching her intently as she retrieved some fresh clothing and hobble through the doorway.

* * *

><p>Hope ran her fingers through her hair and leaned towards the water. It was still freezing cold, but she was getting used to it. Running water in general was a miracle at this point, and after it numbed her skin, it wasn't so bad. Honestly, a cold shower was really what she needed. She couldn't believe the dream she just had! Recently the only dreams she had been able to have were horrible nightmares. The other times she had slept in Glenn's arms, it had left her completely dreamless. Now she was having wet dreams? She couldn't remember the last time she had a wet dream! And she was fairly certain that they had never felt quite so real...and she was <em>definitely<em> never already sleeping with the object of her dirty thoughts. How completely embarrassing. And now he thinks she was having a bad dream that involved him? Oh, she really hoped that he didn't press her on that. A shiver shot down her spine at the thought of that awkward conversation. Or maybe it was still just the cold water.

She quickly picked up her towel from it's resting spot and wrapped it securely around her. As she was wringing out her tangled, wet hair, she heard a voice behind her.

"Have a good night's sleep?" Andrea was smirking as she finished up brushing her teeth.

"When did..." Hope shook her head slightly. She must have really been deep in thought. Andrea had still been in bed when Hope left the room, she didn't even heard the door open. "Um...yes?"

"It seemed like you were having a nice dream." Hope let a short string of curse words run through her head.

"What do you mean?" She asked, feigning ignorance. Andrea smirked even more and gave her a look.

"Come on, Hope. You were moaning like a cat in heat." Hope's face burned bright red in horror.

"_Seriously_?" Andrea let out a laugh and walked closer to the girl.

"Alright, it wasn't _that_ bad. You weren't very loud, at least."

"But I still woke you up." The younger girl's face was only mildly mortified now.

"I'm a light sleeper." Andrea winked. "So...it was about Glenn, then?"

"Did I really say his name?" She nodded, having a difficult time keeping her expression sympathetic. Hope groaned. "He's so going to keep asking about it.."

"So just tell him." The older woman shrugged so carelessly, it made Hope's jaw drop.

"How...is that a good idea?" She shrugged again.

"You guys are clearly into each other, you've bonded, he cares a lot about you." Andrea brushed her hair out of her eyes. "It's the apocalypse. I don't think the social rules we knew really apply anymore. We could all die tomorrow. Why not enjoy today?" Hope's jaw nearly dropped at how cavalier Andrea was sounding.

"But...we haven't known each other that long. I'm still not convinced that his feelings for me are actually genuine. I mean, when was the last time he saw another girl around his age? He may just think I'm his only chance! And _still_ I - " Andrea brought her hands to Hope's shoulders, shaking her a little bit.

"Woah! Slow down there, motor mouth." She smirked again, fondly this time. "A day ago you barely even wanted to tell us your name." When Hope fell silent and her expression turned pensive and worried, Andrea shook her again. "What's with the face?"

"I just.." Hope sighed, not able to maintain eye contact. After another few moments of silence, Andrea spoke again.

"What are you afraid of?" When Hope opened her mouth, her voice came out very quiet, almost a whisper.

"Everything...Glenn." Andrea's expression became very sympathetic, and her tone softened quite a bit.

"Sounds like you two have a lot to talk about."

"I am not telling him I had a wet dream about him." Andrea burst into a short fit of laughter and patted Hope's shoulder.

"I think that would give him a little ego boost, but if you don't want to, you definitely don't have to." Her head fell to the side slightly. "How _do_ you feel about him?"

Hope sighed heavily and took her time answering. "...I like him a lot."

"And why don't you sound happy about it?" Andrea asked, quirking a brow. "He's clearly very taken with you."

The younger woman fidgeted slightly, pulling the big towel tighter around her. "I just..."

"What?" Andrea prompted. "You a commitment-phobe?" She was just teasing of course, but that did little to comfort the young woman.

"Something like that." The two fell silent for a while, Andrea patiently awaiting further explanation and Hope unable to find the right words. "...He just scares me."

"Scared of losing someone else you care about?" Hope looked at her, shocked at the quick answer, and just how right the implication was. The older blonde nodded once. "I figured that was it. I mean, I guess it's not really uncommon these days...Especially with someone in your situation." Though her tone softened considerably, Hope still gave her an unsteady look. "I don't say that to upset you...I think we've all come to that conclusion. It's kind of a conclusion we can come to about everyone, I guess."

"I should go, Glenn's gonna come looking for me." Hope said suddenly, attempting to detach herself from the conversation as fast as possible. Andrea caught her arm.

"Wait." She let go as quickly as soon as she knew Hope was steady. "What happened last night...T-Dog was just tired, he hasn't been sleeping enough lately. He hasn't really gotten to spend any time with you, he just needs a few more days, I think. You really don't have to leave."

"Yeah, I can stay as long as I tell everyone my deepest, darkest secrets. I've gathered that."

"No. No one's saying you have to do that, either. We just don't want you going off on your own - it's _dangerous_. And we'd miss you...I think it'd kill Glenn."

"I really don't want to talk about this anymore, Andrea." The woman didn't stop her as she hobbled into the nearby dressing room and back into the hallway as quickly as possible.

* * *

><p>Glenn was sitting on the edge of her bed when Hope returned. He was still worried about her, she could tell. He smiled, but his brow was still furrowed slightly. She tried to lighten the mood, hugging her arms around her and shivering slightly.<p>

"Not sure I'll ever get used to the ice showers."

"Are you alright?" Well he sure wasn't beating around the bush.

"Yeah...I told you I'm fine." She gave him another short smile and walked over to her bag.

"Yeah, you said that." He stood and crossed the room, only stopping when he reached her side. "I'm just making sure you weren't saying that to keep me from worrying."

"You shouldn't worry." Hope continued to dig through her bag, ignoring how close he was standing.

"But I do." He rested a hand on her arm, trying to win her attention. He succeeded for a moment, when she shot him a look.

"Well you don't need to. I'm fine." She went back to searching. "I didn't have a nightmare."

"Then what - "

"_Glenn!_" She threw her bag back down on the small table. "What does it _matter_? If I had a nightmare, if I didn't - who _cares_? It's not your responsibility to take care of me! I don't need you to, and you should stop." She was lashing at him for no reason - trying to hurt him. It wasn't fair, Glenn didn't do anything wrong. She knew he cared about her, but some self destructive part of her had stepped out, front and center. Maybe it was her weird defense mechanism. She was doing a terrible job of distancing herself, maybe her subconscious was finally stepping in.

"I'm not going to stop, Hope." His voice was low, but strong and his hands sought her shoulders, forcing her to face him. He looked at her, his expression serious, but not unkind. "I _care_about you. When are you going to understand that?"

"I understand that you _care_ about me. Like a kid taking home a stray puppy. I'm just wondering when the novelty wears off." Her tone was getting colder, she wondered if she was cutting him deeply enough yet. At that moment, she began hating herself.

"Novelty? Hope...you're not a novelty. Where is this coming from?"

"Just leave me alone, Glenn." Hope tried to push past him. Maybe she could pretend to fall asleep or something. He didn't let her get far before he grabbed hold of her shoulders once again.

"No - _Hope_." The young man had an iron grip on her shoulders this time, and stayed silent until she dared to look up and meet his agonizing gaze. "Tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Hope groaned and buried her face in her hands. She let him guide her to the bed and sit her down. He sat beside her and rubbed her back lightly, waiting for her to speak again. There was a very long silence as thoughts began to beat violently at her head. She was really tired of feeling like some sort of escaped mental patient. When she felt him place a short, compassionate kiss to her temple, she felt tears pricking at her eyes, and she couldn't stand it any longer.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this." Her voice came out low, tormented. The sound made his heart bleed and he pulled her close, not caring about any possible consequences. She continued, her voice now muffled by his chest. "I don't know what to do anymore. What am I working towards? I just need to leave."

"Why would you leave, Hope? What would you accomplish? Where are you going?"

"I don't know." She cried openly against him now. It was as if he was the only thing keeping her together at all. "That's all I've done, all these months. I don't even know how long it's been, what month it really is. I'm not even sure where I am anymore, what I'm doing. I just...I don't. I don't know."

He held her close and stroked her hair as she continued to cry it out. He didn't know what to think. She was opening up to him, sharing her jumbled thoughts. How was he supposed to comfort her? Those were questions that he had never really figured out himself. Truthfully, those were questions that he just sort of pushed out of his mind. They were the type of thoughts that drove a person insane. Now, he supposed, he would have to finally come up with an answer. As her breathing began to steady itself, he pulled her back so he could see her face. He brushed the remaining tears from her cheeks and held her face gingerly between his hands.

"I think that's what we're all trying to figure out. We don't know what the future's going to be like. We don't know if anyone's trying to fix this...trying to save us. But we've found something to care about - each other. That's what gets us through the day, that's what helps us get our minds off of ourselves. Knowing that there's someone out there that's counting on you - someone that cares about you. That's what gets us through."

"I knew there was some messed up reason you gave me so much attention." She grumbled, but was quickly taken aback by Glenn's serious expression.

"That's not what I meant, Hope. There's something else about you...yeah, I _do_ try to help you. But you're not helpless. You're strong, you're just hurt right now. So yeah...I'm going to try and take care of you. But I guess, one day, I'm just...hoping you'll be there to do the same for me." When he realized that she had actually _heard_ him that time, he was forced to look away and blush briefly, laughing. When he regained his composer and looked at her again, he found her eyes still watching him closely. "I can't tell you what it is about you...I just feel like I'm the one that needs you."

They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, their hands finding each other on top of the bedsheets. More words just seemed pointless at that moment. Hope was focusing on what he said, really letting his talk sink in. He made sense, there was no denying that. Still, she was afraid. She hadn't always been alone through this, but that was always how she ended up. To get close to another group...just seemed terrifying. She didn't want a repeat of what seemed to happen so many times before. Slowly, she tugged him down to her pillow, where she curled up beside him. One hand rested on her lower back, while the other one held the arm she slung across his stomach. It may have been another hour before she could say anything, but what did time really matter now, anyway?

"I'm sorry I freaked out on you...I didn't mean it. I was just...paranoid and insecure." Hope sighed and moved to look at him, her blonde bangs falling away from her eyes. "I haven't even known you long, but I already..._really_ care about you, too. Seriously, what has it been? Three days? Something like that? And the thought of leaving you just isn't something I can bare." Suddenly she laughed at herself and let her head fall back on her pillow. "Crap, I sound like such a chick. Just shake me if I get melodramatic again." Glenn laughed and ruffled her hair, thrilled at how relaxed she seemed all of the sudden. He stole a kiss and laid back down, content to just stay there with her all day. He was in the middle of playing with her hair when she opened her eyes and spoke again.

"I'm going to tell everyone tonight. What I've done. What I've been through." He grew serious.

"Hope, you don't have to do that." As much as he wanted to know about her past, he didn't want her to have to relive the pain he knew she had to have experience. She shook her head.

"Yes I do...and I want to. I like you guys - I don't wanna leave. And if I keep being this mysterious, silent girl, someone's always gonna feel uncomfortable around me." Her voice trailed off as she turned to lay on her side, getting a better view of his face. Her next comment was hesitant. "...And I don't want to keep anything from you." He smiled and kissed her once again. She returned the smile as they broke the kiss. "I'll tell everyone tonight."

"Whatever you want." They both relaxed as she rested her head on his shoulder, using him as a pillow.

"..Also, I had a sex dream about you last night."

"You _what_?"

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><p><strong>She said she didn't want to keep anything from him! xD<strong>

**Sorry if that was too much for some of you, but I felt like this chapter needed something a little silly, and what's funnier than a wet dream, right? xP**

**Lemme know what you thought!**


	8. Chapter 8

**You guys are awesome x3**

**I'm glad some of you enjoyed the humor of the last chapter!**

**This one's gonna be a little heavy...but I hope you enjoy!**

**I do not own The Walking Dead.**

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><p>The couple had chosen to spend the larger portion of the day laying in bed. Yes, just laying. It was difficult for Hope to recover after her most candid confession, but she somehow managed to feel like she still had her dignity. And Glenn <em>did<em> get an ego boost - who was he to judge? (To say he was thrilled would be a rather embarrassing thought, however true it may be.) If he was going to be completely honest, he may have admitted to being surprised about him _not_ having any scandalous dreams. He had been sleeping with a beautiful girl in his arms. That just didn't happen very often. He hoped, of course, that it would be happening every night from then on...God willing. He knew that she was right, though. Someone in the group was always going to be uncomfortable if they didn't know what it was Hope was running from. He wanted to know. He would've suggested that she practice with him before telling the others. Now, of course he knew that she trusted him. Hopefully she trusted him the most. Anyway, he _would_ have suggested that, but he figured that she only wanted to go through it once. Repetition probably wouldn't make those memories any easier. Occupied by his thoughts, Glenn was unaware that his hand had drifted a little lower on her backside than usual.

"Mind wandering a little far there, darling?" He nearly jumped when he heard her sudden sultry tone. The young man looked down at her in surprise.

"What?" Realizing where his hand was, he quickly moved so that his hand was hanging off the bed. "Oh - sorry. I was, uhm...it's.."

Words betraying him, he just watched as Hope laughed at him. Then, abruptly, she was on top of him, stradling his torso. His eyes widened and the only thing he could manage was to bring his hands to her hips as she slowly lowered herself down to taste his lips once again. Her golden hair was like a curtain closing off the rest of the room. After a moment, he buried his hand in it, reveling in the feel of her soft curls. To be able to experience her like this...it was almost as if he was getting a payoff from the last few months. All the crap he's been through, what he's had to endure...it just melted away with the feel of her lips on his. He cradled her head gently in his hand, while the other continued to hold her hip firmly. They continued to exchange loving kisses for a while, neither wanting to pull away. At last, she sat up, and both Glenn's hands gripped her waist.

"We can't stay here all night." She said, a mildly stern expression on her face. He laughed.

"Yeah, I know. Just...don't move around a lot." He felt his skin flush a little when he spoke, even more so when Hope covered her face in laughter. He couldn't help it! And it was better to warn her, than for her to get an awkward surprise.

"Lets go get everyone." She finally said, carefully sliding off of him and onto the floor. He nodded his head and stood as well, helping her out into the hallway.

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><p>To say that everyone was reluctant to gather that evening was...actually, a pretty accurate statement. They had chosen the roof, since someone still had to be on guard, and Hope wanted everyone to hear, because she was most certainly not repeating any of it. The sun was setting and everyone was sitting in a circle while Daryl stood, his sharp eyes forever watchful. He was the one that had probably spoken to her the least, but he always seemed to be around. Usually the only time he had spoken was just to ruffle Glenn's feathers. Still, she had grown attached to him as well, just like the others. And that's why she was doing this. (She had to keep reminding herself of that.) She was seated next to Glenn, hands balled into fists while they rested in her lap. The air was cool and a little...unsettling. Everyone was curious, but slightly afraid. Finally, Hope spoke up.<p>

"Okay, well...everyone knows why we're here."

"Sweetie, you really don't have to do this." Lori spoke worriedly, but Hope just shook her head, looking at no one in particular.

"No, I think I do." There was another long pause as the sheriff's wife leaned against her husband and held her son closer.

"Okay." Hope sighed, and began again. "So...you all know, I was a music major." She cleared her throat and rocked briefly before she felt Glenn's hand move to her arm. "That was at the University of Georgia...in Athens, yanno." Enough with the useless details. She had stalled all she could. "I guess, the day it started - when it _really _got bad, I was in my dorm. Classes had been canceled the whole week, everyone was getting sick. I was watching the news with my roommate when our suite mates burst through the bathroom door yelling and screaming...I don't remember now what they said. We threw what we could in our bags and walked out into the hall..." At that moment, it was like she could see the memory playing out before her eyes, like some sort of horror movie. She didn't see her new friends anymore, she was lost in her past.

"It was chaos. The girls on our floor were screaming, people were falling down around us. That's when I first heard the scream of a Walker...then it was everywhere. I grabbed my roommate's hand, and we sprinted down the stairs. My classmates were...being _devoured_, and we just had to run past them. One girl called my - " Her breathing hitched, and she brought a hand to her mouth. Glenn's hand began to rub soothing circles down her back and she focused on that for a while before speaking again. She left her previous thought where it was, figuring they could use their imagination.

"We got to my car and drove...we didn't know where to go. One of the girls said Atlanta, 'cause of the CDC and all. My roommate sat up front with me, while the other two cried in the back. We drove all night...dodging cars and people. The main highways were blocked, so we had to take the back roads..I didn't know 'em very well." She sniffed and hugged her knees close to her chest, careful to mind her ankle. "I remember it was early...the sun had _just_ come up, when my roommate screamed. One of the girls from the back had turned somehow – scratched while we were getting out of the school, I guess, and she was biting a chuck out of her neck. Next, I felt fingers brushing against my neck, and I panicked...opened the door and jumped out of the car." Briefly she paused, a grimly amused look in her eye. "Not sure how I made that one...we weren't going very fast. Scraped myself up pretty bad, but I kept on running."

"I'm not sure how long I was in the forest. The trees were so tall and thick, I could barely tell when it was daylight." Hope stopped and took a sip of water. At that moment, she remembered all eyes were on her, but she continued to look away from everyone. If she saw one sympathetic batting of an eyelash, she might just lose her nerve...or throw up. (She may end up doing that, anyway.) "By the grace of God I made it out of there without seeing any Walkers. I wound up at some old farmhouse occupied by an older couple - Tess and John. John was a gun enthusiast, and they'd been able to keep themselves safe since the outbreak began. We stayed there for...a few weeks, I think. Tess kept up with her calender, but I never looked at it. Didn't really seem important anymore. One day the farm got overrun, and we just _barely_ made it into his dusty old pickup. Tess was so upset about her horses..." Again, she got a far away look in her eye, while everyone else felt a knot forming in their stomachs.

"Anyway, I mentioned Atlanta, but John said this thing would be worse in bigger cities. We had to find supplies and a place where we could protect ourselves." The wind picked up, and she slowly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. " We moved around like that for...I guess a month or two? Really, I'm not sure. Seemed like we were moving for years, to be honest. At first John talked about a place where we could be safe...then he got paranoid. Even when we found a town with just a handful of Walkers, he wouldn't slow down. Guess that wore off on me." A shell of a smile appeared on her face as she thought back to a bittersweet memory...but she didn't share. They just needed to know the basics. And she just really wanted this to be over.

"I made a mistake one day. My gun went off by accident, and it attracted Walkers." Suddenly she looked agonized, and tears brimmed for a moment before she blinked and rubbed her eyes. Her voice was thick as she continued, but she was stubbornly trying to keep the tears back. "We tried to barricade ourselves on the second story of someone's house, but they broke through. The next room we ran into...was some kinda family room. Big, nice double doors...huge TV with toys laying all around...John couldn't hold the door for long, and the couch was too heavy for me and Tess to move, so he told us to go on without him." Her voice hitched again, but she immediately cleared her throat and took a deep breath. She refused to see the pained looks everyone was giving her. "Well, of course, Tess wasn't having any of that!" She laughed let out a humorless laugh. "She got so upset over her _horses_, you think she was gonna leave her _husband_ of fifty years? Hell no..."

"She fell against the other door right beside him, telling him how much she loved him...they argued for what felt like a lifetime, but it ended with them taking out their pistols and telling me to head out the fire escape...then they pointed the pistols at their heads." Carol's small gasp is what broke Hope's concentration, and she looked at everyone's faces. They were mostly horrified, Glenn's was a mixture of sympathy and pain. Even Daryl was looking at her with the smallest bit of sympathy. But she pressed on, no matter how much she wanted to get off of that roof. After another clearing of her throat, drink of water and several deep breaths, she was able to continue.

"When I got down from the ladder, I heard the gunshots. I was able to get to his truck again, and I started driving." It was getting a little darker by that point, and Hope took comfort in that. Maybe they wouldn't be able to see just how much this whole thing messed her up...like they didn't already know. "We had just filled up after passing all those cars on the highway, so I was able to drive for a while..didn't know where I was going. That's when I wound up at this little town just outside this one. I saw a light on in a window and headed for it...'course, so did every Walker in town, so I was able to meet up with the survivors when they fled the building. There were a handful of them...they took me in, but they didn't ask my name, and they didn't give me theirs. None of them seemed too friendly with each other. There was a big football coach looking guy there, he was the leader. There was also a couple and two others...I don't think I was with them for long, but I was in and out the whole time. I dunno...I guess the stress and exhaustion just caught up with me."

"The day we traveled to this town was the day you guys found me." Everyone's breathing seemed to still as if they were trying to prepare themselves for what was next. They all knew she was alone, she'd said so herself. "Like you saw...those Walkers were hungry, and they were fast. They chased us up into this old, rickety abandoned house." Hope breathed out another short, humorless laugh. "Guess none of us remembered how that always ended up in horror movies."

"They were hot on our tails when the big coach guy grabbed the youngest of the guys by his shirt collar...and threw him back into the crowd of Walkers." Again, she brought her hand to her mouth as the sounds of screams and ripping intestines filled her head, this time it was an attempt to keep herself from vomiting. "I couldn't believe it, I - I _wanted_ to help him, but there's just nothing you can do after that, you know? And there was no _time_ to think about it, that didn't distract 'em for long, they kept _coming_, screaming, clawing at us!" Hurriedly, she took a drink of her water and covered her eyes with her hand. She was almost through it. She could do this. Her palms felt sticky and she suddenly noticed a distinct sheet of sweat all over her. When she continued, her voice was just a tiny bit calmer.

"We ran upstairs, but that was a dead end. There were holes in the door, the Walkers busted right through. The other woman was caught downstairs by a few of those bastards...when they broke the door, the wife tripped and her husband was trying to help her up when he was bitten. Then the Walkers that couldn't get to them, started after me and the coach." It was then that her hands began to shake, and the tears couldn't be blinked away, though she tried her best.

"He started..._pushing_ me to them. I told him to stop, I was yelling at him, _screaming_! Why would he _do_ that? Sacrifice everyone else, for what? Did he think he was gonna be able to get away? Those people _trusted_ him, and he was just fine throwing everybody at those _monsters_! So I took out my pistol, I was aiming to shoot the Walker he was pushing me towards, but I _didn't_, the next thing I knew, I was up against the wall and when I pulled the trigger...I was aiming at _him_." She could've lied about that part. She had decided on it. Whatever possessed her to confess that, she didn't know...but now she was terrified. She began glancing around, but her eyes rested on Rick's. "I shot him." Her voice came out in a whisper as the gravity of her words finally set in. "I shot...another human being." Rick gave her a slow nod, as if he understood her actions. But she knew in her heart that his understanding wouldn't make her feel any better about it.

"After that, it's kind of a blur." Hope had quickly stopped crying, and her voice came out dull. "I jumped out the window, I think. Don't know how else I would've gotten out of there. Came running down the street, hopped over a fence, cracked my ankle...then I met you guys." She paused, letting herself breathe for a moment. "Don't know where the hell that gun went."

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><p><strong>Abrupt ending? <strong>

**But it's laaaate, and I must go to bed.**

**The next chapter will be up soon, but I'd love to know what you guys think!**

**What were you expecting Hope's story to be?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hellooo again! I've been writing this chapter for the past couple of days, it's been  
>driving me crazy! x.x It's not my favorite, but I never like chapters that I don't<br>just sit down and write in one go...but I hope you enjoy!**

**I do not own The Walking Dead!**

* * *

><p>Hope always hated her name. It was supposed to hold some sort of sentimental value or something to her mother. Her mother <em>loved<em> her name, but it always seemed ridiculous to the girl. Especially now. Hope? What a terrible name to have during the apocalypse. She felt like when she introduced herself, someone would take it as some sort of _sign_ and she would have to disappoint them. She wasn't going to be bringing anyone "hope".

It was as if the past two days hadn't happened. She was only able to sit up on that roof, silent, unable to look at anyone, just staring off into space. Really, though...it was probably worse. She had all but blocked that last part of her story out. She knew the truth in the back of her mind, but she wouldn't ever acknowledge it. She had held it out at a distance, but then it came tumbling out of her mouth...Everyone had tried to comfort her. It wasn't her fault. What choice did she have? She did what she had to to survive. Were those things really supposed to comfort her? When she was growing up, she used to have trouble squishing a _spider_. Then the world ends, and she's suddenly supposed to be okay with _shooting_ another human being in the _head_? That wasn't really something she could wrap her head around. Now that the memory was playing on repeat, front and center in her brain, she was...well, horrified. All of them were at it for half an hour before Rick suggested they give her some time, and they disappeared back into the base. Glenn stayed with her on the roof, holding her hand, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Still, she wouldn't respond.

"I knew this wasn't a good idea." He sighed quietly, giving her a warm peck on her forehead.

"Why don't ya go inside an' get her some water, Glenn?" Daryl, who had been quiet the whole evening, finally spoke up. Glenn looked at him incredulously. "She prolly needs it. She drained her cup 'ah while ago, an' you two stayed up in that room jus' about all day." When Glenn still looked reluctant, Daryl continued, his tone stern and serious, though it still held a bit of foreign concern. "I'll make sure she don't go running off the roof or nothin'."

After a long moment of the two men just staring at each other, Glenn reluctantly let go of Hope and hurriedly disappeared into the base. It was another long moment before Daryl spoke up.

"What they was all sayin'...yanno they're right, huh?" He inquired, his eyes still scanning the darkness.

"I kill a human being and get off scot-free just because I started crying? This world's more messed up than I thought." Hope scoffed, her expression dark. Daryl seemed surprised.

"I know it'sa different world now, but yanno you'd prolly be right in the old one, too." This caused Hope to look at him, uncertainty in her glare. He smirked a little, his eyes surprisingly soft. "Self defense an' all that."

"..You know, you don't have to be nice to me just because I spilled my guts on this roof."

"Whatchu mean?" Daryl asked, genuinely confused. Hope furrowed her brow.

"You've never actually said anything to me before...why else would you be so comforting all of the sudden?" At this, the country boy laughed and looked like he was considering this for a moment.

"Jus' tryin' to be nice." Then he tilted his head and turned away from her, looking back out into the darkness. "An' you kinna remind me 'ah someone."

Before she could question him further, Glenn returned with her water. He approached her uncertainly, realizing he just interrupted something.

"Everything okay?" He asked, his voice quiet as he handed Hope the bottle. She gave him a small smile and nodded her head, taking the bottle from him.

"Yeah...thanks." Glenn looked surprised for a moment, but returned her smile. That's when they heard Daryl clear his throat. The couple looked over to see Daryl appearing uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

"Problem?" Hope asked, realizing her attitude was easier to find when it was directed at Daryl, for whatever reason. He tried to hold back another smirk.

"Why don't y'all head back inside?" He adjusted his crossbow. "Think I'm gettin' a cavity."

* * *

><p>Hope had decided not to join the others for dinner. She had somehow convinced Glenn to get food for himself. She wanted to sleep. They both knew that she wasn't going to, however. The girl may have been exhausted after that (now embarrassing) display, but there was no way she was actually <em>trying<em> to go to sleep. It was Glenn's turn to keep watch after dinner, so he'd be gone a few hours. She just had to make it a little while...she would find something to do.

"Okay...book." As if talking to herself would make her feel better, she continued to mumbled under her breath as she reached into her bag. Every time she opened the thing now, she just had to laugh at the contents. Pretty underwear, toothbrush, iPod...and a book. Nothing very practical. Hell, she hadn't even thought to bring _band aids. _It was a wonder she had made it so far. Of course...she wouldn't have, without all those people. And before she could dive back into that train wreck of a thought process, Hope pulled out a book from her bag and hopped back onto her mattress as if monsters were crawling around beneath it. Looking at the old book fondly, she ran her finger down the spine and opened it up, a picture falling out. There was an older woman smiling at the camera, along with a younger woman holding a little girl in her lap.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Hope sat very still from her spot against the pillow. There seemed to be a hesitation behind the barrier, but the doorknob clicked and Hope watched as Lori peaked her head in. When she found Hope staring at her, she was surprised, and instantly embarrassed.

"Oh! Sorry! We just thought - "

"Go ahead and step in." Hope heard Andrea's calm voice from the other side of the half-opened door. Within moments, the two women were inside and staring at her, Andrea holding a plate of food in her hands.

"Here." She offered it to her, taking a seat on the bed next to her. "Glenn said you wanted to sleep, but...we decided to take a shot." Andrea gave her an encouraging smile. "You probably haven't eaten all day, have you?" There was a brief pause before Hope shook her head, and took the plate from her.

"Thanks." That one little word sent such a shot of optimism through Andrea and Lori's expressions, Hope briefly wondered if she should keep up the silent act. Maybe that way everyone could get excited when she actually did speak. Both women were caught so off guard, it took a moment before they spoke again. Finally, Lori thought of something to say.

"Hope, about what you said on the roof, we - "

"Am I getting kicked out or not?" Both women stared at her in shock as she continued to eat her food.

"What...? Hope." Lori stuttered a bit, still at a loss for words. "Why would we even - "

"Hope." Andrea took over, causing the younger girl to turn her attention to her. "Listen to me. You did what you had to do to survive. That man was just as - he was _worse_ than the Walkers that were after you. He already sent one man to his death that you _know_ about, and he was about to throw you to them as well. No one blames you for that." The room went silent again as Andrea's words hit her. Really...no one was upset with her? They didn't realize how serious this was? She killed another human being...but she was defending herself. And he _was_ trying to sacrifice her to the Walkers.

"I'm pretty sure Daryl's a little proud of you." Lori couldn't help but smirk softly at the thought. And that's when she felt it. An odd little glow in her chest. It wasn't like the feeling she got when Glenn looked at her, when he smiled at her. It was warm and...happy. But in a different way. It was similar to the feeling she would get after her mother praised her for learning a new song, or when her grandmother would make such a big deal about her making a good grade on a test. It had only been a few days...how did these people already feel like her family? Some were more distant than others, of course...but there was a huge difference in this group than any of the others that she had encountered. None of them really seemed to be _perfect_ for each other...but they all came together, they all cared about each other. Just like normal families do.

"Look...Hope." Andrea continued after her brief attempt at keeping her laughter in. "We know you've been through a lot, we know you've _seen_ a lot." She placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "And we know you trust Glenn, and we're _thrilled_, but I want - I think what we _all_ want you to know is, you can trust us. We're not going to leave you, we're not going to throw you out to be Walker food. You're safe with us." _As safe as you can be. _Hope knew that's what she meant without her actually saying it. The words echoed through her head until they settled into her heart. The women were quiet as she let the thought sink in.

"Thanks." Hope spoke in a low voice, making sure to keep her emotions in check. She had already cried once that night, so she was a little worried that the waterworks might start again. The young woman was still horrified at the turn her life had taken, and probably a little shell shocked as well. The past few months of her life had been a living nightmare, with no time to stop and take a breath. Now, it seemed there was time. She could take a breath without having to worry about what was creeping up behind her. Sure, she wasn't perfectly safe, but she knew now that there were people looking out for her. And wasn't that really what family was supposed to be about? Lori took a seat on the floor near them as they three women sat there, enjoying the new feeling that had settled on the group.

"So..." Lori spoke up, getting a sudden twinkle in her eye. "Just how close _are_ you and Glenn?"

"W-_huh_?" Hope stammered, her eyes suddenly widening. The two women howled with laughter.

"She's just teasing you, Hope." Andrea said through stifled laughs, "..But we do have certain forms of..._protection_. Should you two choose to get any closer."

"It's only been a few days, guys!" Hope groaned, hanging her head to hide her blush. She could feel the movement of the mattress as Andrea shrugged.

"The days are getting longer..."

"And when you haven't - _yanno_. In a while, you.." Lori stopped as she noticed a strange look on Hope's face. "...What?"

"Well, I..." Hope stopped before she could stumble through her words again. It was painfully obvious that she wasn't good with guys before. Chock it up to her having trust issues, or just being too socially awkward with too much baggage, whatever makes sense. The bottom line was that the farthest she had ever been with _any_ guy, was PG-13 rated at best. (Or worst?) So, the thought of having sex was...still a little scary, to be honest. And she was just making fun of herself for thinking about it the other day. How many times was she going to contradict herself...

"Oh..." Andrea sat back and stared at her.

"You're a...well then." Lori smiled warmly. "That's very respectable. Sorry, we didn't mean to offend you."

"Oh, no...you didn't." The words were out of Hope's mouth before she could stop them. The women sat in silence for a moment.

"Well...do you _want_ to?"

"_Andrea_!" Lori gasped, looking positively shocked.

"It was an innocent question!...sort of. I'm just _saying_, if she wanted to, she could ask us any questions she might have. There's not exactly a sex ed book laying around anywhere. Google's certainly not going to do her any good."

"Actually..." Hope's voice took on a timid tone again as she picked at the edge of her old book. "Do you think...he's expecting it?" Andrea and Lori both paused and glanced at each other.

"Well.." Lori started, obviously trying to think her words through carefully. "I'm sure he'd be _thrilled_ to be with a beautiful girl like yourself, but I wouldn't say he was _expectin'_ it." The older woman glanced at the platinum blonde nodding for reassurance.

"She's right. Glenn's a sweet guy - always been a perfect gentleman. I can't imagine him trying to push you into anything..." Andrea laughed fondly and looked at Hope, smiling. "I think you'll have to send him some pretty strong signals...but you should probably talk to him about it, if it's bothering you."

* * *

><p>Glenn felt like he was on the edge of his seat the whole night. If Walkers were going to try and wander into the base, that would've been a mistake. He felt distracted, but his instincts were sharp. He was trying not to think about Hope...but he hadn't been able to accomplish that since she fell into his life. When he thought about what she'd been through...it made his chest ache. Sure, the group had seen horrifying, <em>unspeakable<em> things since the world went to hell. Atlanta was hell enough, but by that time he had already found a group he could trust. Sure, they had lost some along the way, some willing, some...most definitely not. But the thought of Hope out there with people she could rely on, or just alone somewhere...thinking about all the times where she so easily could've been lost, it made him sick. He wanted nothing more than to get off of that roof, run back to their room and hold her close again. Which is probably why he nearly knocked Rick off the building when he showed up to relieve him of his duties.

"Hold on a second, Glenn." The sheriff said calmly, placing a hand on Glenn's shoulder. The young man looked at him, clearly a little impatient.

"Why, what's up?"

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that Lori and Andrea brought a plate of food to Hope and sat with her a while." Glenn was growing more and more impatient by the second, but he tried to focus on what his friend was saying. "When I passed by, I heard a lotta gigglin', so I'm hopin' she's doin' better by now."

"Alright, good. I'm gonna go check on her." Before he could speed off, Rick stopped him again.

"Glenn." He paused, making sure the young man was listening. "I just wanted to ask you to keep us posted. Let us know if there's anything else goin' on. I think it was good that she got it all out in the open tonight...people seem to feel a little more relieved now that they know somethin' about her." At that, Glenn turned around to face the older man.

"Everyone feels better about themselves after making her relive the hell she's been through?"

"Glenn, that's not what I meant - "

"Just..." Glenn raised his hands in front of him before sighing and letting them fall back down to his sides. "I'm sorry. I've gotta get back to Hope."

* * *

><p>During the five short minutes it took for Glenn to get from the roof to the front of Hope's bedroom door, he had already gone through every possible scenario in his mind about whatever terrible things could be on the other side. He also was trying not to feel awful about what he had just said to Rick. But he couldn't help it...seeing Hope in pain like that. Hopefully it would be good for her. Maybe it wouldn't weigh so heavily on her mind. He didn't know why her nightmares went away when he held her, he just knew he wanted to do anything he could to keep her safe. That included keeping her safe from her own subconscious. He quietly slipped inside the dark room, expecting to find her laying down, trying to sleep. Instead, she was sitting up and facing the door, as if she heard him coming.<p>

"Hey," He said, softly. Almost immediately, he was at her side. "Are you alright?"

His long fingers brushed her bangs away from her eyes. There was a small candle lit on the nightstand next to her, which allowed him to see her eyes, pensive and troubled. Concern etched itself across his face, and he kneeled down in front of her, taking both of her hands in his.

"Tell me what's going on." His voice was soft and soothing. Hope closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, she looked nervous.

"I was talking to some of the girls earlier..." The way she was acting made him nervous.

"About what?" He asked, the anticipation killing him. After another long moment, she took a deep breath and looked him dead in the eye.

"I can't have sex with you." Silence filled the room so quickly, it took Glenn a minute to process what she just said before falling on his behind in laughter. Hope, however, did not look very amused.

"Why is that funny?" She asked, confused.

"Hope! You had me really freaked out for a second there." He stopped laughing, but continued to smile as he moved to sit next to her on the bed. When he noticed she still had her look of confusion, he had to continue. "What?"

"You don't even want to know - " Hope stopped herself, as she brought a hand to her temple and closed her eyes. "Sorry. That just...wasn't really the reaction I was expecting."

"You want me to ask why?" Glenn asked, clearly amused as he reached over to take her hand again.

"That _was_ what I was expected." She mused, unable to look at him. He smiled fondly and brought his free hand to her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Why?" The look of affection, amusement and the slightest hint of concern in his eyes just about made her heart melt, but she pushed on to speak, making herself look just past him.

"Okay, don't - don't laugh." Hope waited until he nodded and she felt him squeeze her hand. After taking a deep breath, she pressed on. "I promised myself when I was a little girl, that I would..._wait_. Wait for the right guy. And, to me, that kinda meant...like, after marriage, or something - you know, just to be absolutely sure. I thought that it would be best that way, because a lot of guys just like to make it seem like they're perfect, then they get what they want from you and they leave - not that I'm saying you're like that, I don't think you are, but it's really only been a couple of days, and I know we're supposed to be living like it's our last day, 'cause it _could_ be, but I was thinking about it tonight. After the girls left, I was trying to look at, like, every _possible_ angle I could, but I just really don't think that I can do it, I know it's probably dumb. The world's ended, but still I can't let go of that one thing, but it was _important_ to me, and I feel like if I gave it up, that would just be it, I wouldn't be the same person I was before all of this, yanno? And I - "

Hope was forced into silence as she felt Glenn's hands cup her cheeks, and then his warm lips met hers. He tried to show her what he was feeling through the kiss. He was...amused. He was trying not to laugh. Above all, he just wanted to let her know how he felt about her - the pure _affection_ he felt for her. It would be too soon to say that he loved her...but he did care about her a great deal. He _would_ say that he loved her, but something told him she wouldn't take him too seriously. But...she was great. Strong. Obviously brave, even though she was probably terrified facing what she had to face in these past few months...she still made it into his arms. Glenn had never really thought too hard about destiny and the like before, but...he had to wonder if this is what it felt like. How else could he explain a beautiful girl just falling into his arms like this? And boy, did he think she was beautiful...When she slept, sometimes she just let out soft little sighs. After she showered, her hair would turn into these perfect little ringlets, until they dried completely, that's when they transformed into those perfect, golden waves. Her lips were always so soft against his...they were perfect. Sometimes her kisses were shy and timid, but other times something took a hold of her and she seemed to know _exactly_ was she was doing. Glenn pulled away so that they could both catch their breaths, and he found her looking at him, her expression a mixture of confusion and happiness.

"...What was that for?" She asked, combing her fingers through her hair.

"You're cute when you ramble." He grinned, and he knew he made her blush, even in the dim candlelight.

"So...you're not upset?" Hope asked, shyly looking up at him from under her eyelashes.

"I'm not upset." He smiled a little more, and kissed her forehead. After a moment, he kicked off his shoes and turned back to her. Without saying a word, she stood up and pulled back the covers. As he laid there, his arms wrapped around her, he pulled her closer and breathed in her scent. He didn't know what the future had in store for them, but he knew as long as he had these moments to look forward to...everything would be okay.

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><p><strong>Well, how'd you like it?<br>I think I'm going to to and write that Daryl story I was talking about, remember?  
>It would tie into this one, so I suppose it would be like a sequel...lemme know what you think!<strong>

**I also have an idea for a Hope/Glenn oneshot that would be pure fluff...sometimes I feel weird sticking it in here, but if I had an entire little fic dedicated to it, no one can judge, right? XP  
>Make sure you keep a lookout for that as well! <strong>


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